Fireworks
by District 7 Profanity
Summary: "I once read an article that it only takes two hours to fall in love with someone." "Falling in love is easy," Johanna responded with a nod, "It's staying in love that's hard." A Joniss College (sort of) AU story that follows Johanna saving Katniss from a near disastrous blind date to ...we'll see! Rated M for Chapter 2 and beyond.
1. Chapter 1

Katniss scowled to herself as she watched the rain pitter-patter against the sidewalk outside. She instantly longed to be out there, smelling the sweet scent that rain culls from the soil after a dry spell, instead of the pungent aroma of marinara sauce from inside the pizzeria. Fondly she remembered the forests of home, traversing them with her father. Rain was better, he'd say, it quieted the leaves so you could creep without detection. He'd often smile and say that's why God put the rain clouds in their eyes, because they were both natural born hunters who needed the rain. It was inside them.

Now here she was, sitting alone in this pizzeria with her gray, perpetual rain cloud eyes, waiting on a man who was not going to show. Madge's "great idea" of setting her up on a blind date with some guy from the swim team had ended before it began, as she thought it would. She didn't even like pizza, she thought sourly as she glared at the red, white and green streamers everywhere. The waiter had come over an obscene amount of times and appeared to revel in Katniss being stood up with his smug grins. With a frustrated grunt she started to slide out of the booth when she heard a voice saying her name. Her fingers, two of which had been partially in her mouth from a nail-biting habit she hadn't been able to shake since childhood, whipped down to the table.

"Katniss Everdeen?" Katniss looked up the length of the person's body until she got to her face. The girl was dressed in a pair of skintight dark wash blue jeans and a black blazer with a shimmering green top underneath. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, a few wisps in the front dyed scarlet red against the natural black of her hair. Her eyes were a deep cedar like the forests of home. She saw a dainty eyebrow raise on the girl's face, lips faintly turned upward in amusement. "You are Katniss, yeah?"

The lilt of her voice was high and she possessed some hint of an accent of which Katniss couldn't quite identify the origin. "I'm ...yes?" she sputtered, a blush scattering across the tops of her cheeks. "But I think you have the wrong table."

The girl's ruby lips widened into a large smirk. "Now if I had the wrong table, would I have addressed you by name?" Katniss shook her head. The woman gave an unimpressed look around. "Besides there's no one else in this joint anyway." Katniss darted her gray eyes around the restaurant. There was one other couple sitting by the windows, sharing spaghetti like they were those dogs outside the Italian restaurant in that Disney film. Otherwise it was dead. Katniss brought her attention back to the girl.

"You're not Finnick Odair," Katniss stated dumbly. Why was she at a loss for words? Because she wasn't good with words, she reasoned with herself, that's why. Even less so when a gorgeous older woman was next to her. Wait, gorgeous?

The woman titled her head to the side and chuckled. "You don't miss a thing, do you?" Her voice was amused, not mean, and Katniss lifted the corner of her mouth. The woman sat in the booth across from her and slid down a few inches so she was directly across from Katniss. Katniss observed her in the quiet way she observed everything, eyes narrowed and the hair on the back of her neck standing at attention. The girl wore a ring on her right hand, a gold and diamond piece that looked expensive to Katniss's untrained eye. She was perfectly made up with a killer smokey eye, just a dash of eyeliner and some deep ruby lipstick to color her lips. One of those girls that though she was wearing make-up, she was obviously naturally beautiful. It was almost unfair. Katniss felt dowdy in her brown sweater and jeans. "I'm not Finnick Odair. I'm Johanna Mason. Finnick is my cousin and, I love the big ass, but he isn't the brightest. I am here to offer his deepest apologies."

Katniss's face darkened. Oh. "Oh. Well, that's okay, I guess. You didn't have to come all the way here. He could've called me or messaged me on Facebook." Spared me this fucking embarrassment, Katniss thought to herself.

Johanna smiled with mirth. "That would've been one way to do it. Or he could've wrested his testes from wherever they are captive to come here himself and apologize like a gentleman." Katniss found herself chuckling at Johanna's jab and her posture became less rigid. Johanna's eyes sparkled with apology, but not pity, Katniss noticed. "In any case, and I hate to take up his side but he's ...he would've been completely uninterested."

Katniss's smile was wiped from her face, fast as lightning. "Oh."

Johanna's brown eyes were confused for a split second and then she stretched her hand across the table and brushed her fingertips against Katniss's knuckles. Katniss felt the burn of her touch go right up her arm and spread across her chest. "Oh, no, not like that. Fuck no, you're - you're stunning. Really." Katniss blushed at the compliment, the sincerity in Johanna's voice, and the shy smile she gave her. "He's the idiot. He'd be uninterested because he's been secretly dating a crazy girl from back home since high school. Doesn't want to ruin his lady-killer image so he tells no one." Katniss's eyes rolled involuntarily and Johanna snickered. "Men are truly very stupid."

A sigh of relief spilled from Katniss's lips. Not that she cared if some guy found her attractive but she suddenly wished she wasn't embarrassing herself in front of Johanna. Now she didn't know the protocol in this not-blind-date. "Should I go?" Katniss asked as Johanna picked up the menu that had been staring Katniss in the face from across the table all night, mocking her.

Johanna shrugged her shoulders. "If you want to, be my guest. I wouldn't want to keep you from enjoying the rest of your night." Katniss's face fell a little and Johanna peered at her over the menu. "Or, you could stay. And I can stand in for my idiot cousin."

"Stand in?" Katniss repeated, blinking a few times. Johanna sat the menu down and smiled. "You don't have to do that for me."

Johanna rolled her eyes and nodded her head. "You're absolutely right, Katniss Everdeen, I don't. But, seeing as how you are probably free since you thought you'd be staring into the beautiful sea green eyes of Finnick Odair, and I rushed over here instead of getting my own dinner, we could help each other out." Katniss closed her mouth in fear of her jaw slacking and making her look like a fool. Johanna slapped the plastic menu down on the table. "But not here. I'm not going to have indigestion just because Odair can't pick a good restaurant from a hole in the ground."

Johanna shuffled out of the booth and held her hand out to Katniss. Katniss took the proffered hand and Johanna helped her from the seat. The brunette took her coat from the hanger and put it over her shoulders. "Where are we going?"

The older girl mused on that for a few moments. The waiter looked crossly at them and Johanna rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Somewhere else. I'll decide outside." And she would decide, Katniss figured. Johanna carried herself with effortless authority and the look she shot the impatient waiter made him shrink back behind the counter. They emerged into the night and Katniss hoped the rain wouldn't do what it always did to her hair, fraying it and making her look like a loofah sponge. Johanna peered both ways down the street before turning to Katniss. "Do you like Indian food?"

"I've never tried it," Katniss confessed. She wasn't adventurous with her eating habits. She wasn't adventurous at all. Agreeing to this "blind date" with not-Finnick-Odair was probably the most adventurous thing she'd ever done.

"No?" Johanna took Katniss by the arm and put it through the loop she had made with her own. "I know a great place. I realize this is unorthodox, but are you game?" In spite of her asking, Johanna was already leading them down the block. There were a lot of restaurants in this area of the campus, but Katniss always stuck to the same cafe a few blocks from her dorm that made a lamb and plum stew like she used to have back home. "I don't want to seem like I'm forcing you."

"Not at all!" Katniss protested, too quickly. She ducked her gaze to the darkened, damp sidewalk. "I mean, you were right. I don't have any other plans." Ever, Katniss wanted to add, but didn't.

Johanna smiled. "Great. It's just around the block over here." Once they walked around the corner there was a small, unassuming restaurant with a dark red awning covering the entrance. Johanna led her into the place and she was stopped short by the strong scent of curry. Katniss watched an older Indian man emerge from around the host podium and greet Johanna by name. "Rahul, how are you?" she asked, giving the man a hug.

"Jo-hanna," he said, pronouncing the silent 'h'. "I'll bring you to your seat." The seats were wonderfully and richly embroidered pillows that surrounded a small table that sat about shin height. Johanna sat cross-legged on one side, and motioned for Katniss to sit across from her.

Katniss plopped on the ground, crossing her legs as well. The man Johanna called Rahul brought them each a menu. Johanna placed hers to the side. "Try whatever you want. We'll start with the paneer pakora," Johanna instructed to the man. "And two glasses of the Silex."

Katniss could see the whites of his eyes. "That is only by the bottle, Miss Jo-Hanna."

Johanna shrugged. "Then let's have the bottle, shall we?" Johanna waved him off and turned her attention back to Katniss. "I've had nearly everything they have here. It's all delicious." The brunette nodded her head. She had no idea what anything was on the menu and once the waiter returned with the bottle of champagne, he looked at her expectantly. Johanna narrowed her eyes at Katniss. "You know what, why don't you choose for us, Rahul? Something delicious." She turned to Katniss. "Are you allergic to anything? Or vegetarian or vegan?"

Katniss shook her head. "Nope, I can eat anything."

"Can you now? I may hold you to that," Johanna murmured, capturing Katniss's eyes in a heated stare. She handed the menus to the man. "Then let's allow Rahul to whip something up for us." He nodded and took the menus, scurrying back toward the kitchen. "So why don't we start this off right, hm? I'm Johanna Mason."

Johanna held her hand out across the table and Katniss smiled softly. "Nice to meet you, Johanna. Katniss Everdeen." She shook the girl's small, but firm hand and then retracted her own back into her lap.

"And what do you do, Katniss Everdeen?" Johanna asked, pouring the champagne into two small flutes for them. "Aside from hanging out at pizzerias waiting on strangers?"

"I'm a student," Katniss informed with a shrug as she took a slow sip. The champagne was extraordinary, unlike anything Katniss had ever tasted. With no price tags on the menu, Katniss didn't know if this was really expensive champagne, or cheap stuff. Whatever it was, she downed it like water. Johanna raised a bemused eyebrow but said nothing about her exuberance.

"And what do you study?"

"History, boring stuff," Katniss dismissed embarrassedly. Being a history major in this economy was like having a degree in sky-writing: impractical and rather stupid.

Johanna snorted. "How can history be boring? Accounting? Now that can be boring. But history is beautiful. What part do you specialize in?"

Katniss was taken aback. Nobody ever really cared to hear what she was studying. Even Madge, her best friend, zoned out when Katniss would go on excitedly about some ancient text. "Oh, um, the Hellenistic period of Ancient Greece. A bit into the life of Alexander the Great, but mostly the history between his death and the rise of the Roman empire."

"I can't say I know much about that," Johanna responded, taking another sip from her champagne flute. She leaned over and filled Katniss's glass again. "But it sounds fascinating."

Katniss rolled her eyes. It was bad enough that this girl was taking her on a pity date, she didn't need to be patronized. "No it isn't."

Johanna eyed her. "Sure it is. Matter of fact, you sound fascinating, Katniss Everdeen." Katniss blushed again, ready to deflect the compliment, but Johanna's eyes were insistent so she swallowed it down and nodded. Everything about Johanna made her heartbeat race and her skin get warm. It was a reaction she'd never had before with anyone, girl or boy.

"What do you do?" Katniss pressed, raising a challenging eyebrow toward the older girl. Well, she seemed older. Katniss wasn't sure.

"Politics," Johanna shrugged. Off Katniss's inquiring expression she continued. "I work for my father in the government."

Katniss filed through her brain to try and figure out what Johanna was talking about. Suddenly her gray eyes flew open. "You're President Mason's granddaughter!" Katniss blurted out. President Roger Mason was the patriarch of the Mason family - a generations-old timber family with heavy government ties. The modern day Kennedy's. Johanna's father, Roger Mason Jr, was a Senator from Washington state. How she hadn't recognized that trademark look all the Masons had - wide set brown eyes, jet black hair, disarming smirk - Katniss felt like a fool. Johanna was the spitting image of her handsome father, just feminine, and you know, real and in person and not on some CNN news report.

"That I am." Another waiter, not the man they had met, brought out two beautifully colored plates of food that steamed up into their nostrils. The warmth of the restaurant, the champagne, and the food, made Katniss wish she had some water. It didn't help to be on the end of Johanna's penetrating gaze and all she had to drink was the intoxicating champagne. "This looks amazing. I am starving." Johanna dug into the food with abandon. Katniss watched on with delight, joining in after Johanna made several blush-inducing groans at the taste of the spread.

They talked about Katniss's life with her little sister, her parents, and their curmudgeon cat Buttercup. Katniss didn't realize how much she missed her family until she was nearly a half an hour into talking about them. About hunting with her father, watching her mother do wonders in the hospital as a nurse, or listening to Prim prattle on about animal cruelty for hours. She missed waking up to the smell of her father cooking breakfast, or the entire family piling on to the couch to watch a movie. She missed home. She even missed the little bit of soot that still sometimes blew in the air from the long-closed coal mines near where they lived.

Katniss babbled about the mockingjays that lived near their house, and how she and her father could sing to them and they'd sing back. Something not everyone was able to do. "In fact," Katniss stated as she stabbed at her plate, "it's considered even more rare than being able to shatter glass with your voice."

Johanna grinned indulgently. "You'll have to sing for me, then."

"Oh, no," Katniss backpedaled, waving her hand. "You don't want to make me sing."

"On the contrary," Johanna purred, "I think I'd love to make you sing." Katniss bit her lip and ducked her attention back to her food.

Johanna regaled her with stories of growing up in District Seven - the peculiar name of the Mason estate way up in the north of Washington state. Fancy dinner parties that she and her (four!) brothers would try to ruin by playing various pranks on the guests. Being the youngest of five, and the only girl, Johanna was victim of relentless teasing from her brothers, but also favoritism from her father. She told her tales of Finnick trying to teach her to surf - which she was dreadful at - and her grandfather teaching her to fell trees - which she was excellent at. They had summers on the coast of the Georgia Strait, and winter vacations to Bali and Thailand. She described her insanely competitive prep schools and the art of dodging paparazzi since the day she hit puberty.

That was the price of their lavish lifestyle, Johanna explained: the lack of privacy. Katniss could remember seeing photos of Johanna's brothers out with various women - and the one who went out with various men - but very rarely any photos of Johanna. "They're idiots," Johanna dismissed, dabbing her face with her napkin. "They go to well-known hotspots with all these celebrities, and then wonder why they can't go grab the mail in their boxers without paparazzi in their face."

"Have they ever caught you?" Katniss asked, scooping up the last bit of her food from her plate. She couldn't even remember if the food was good, she had been so engrossed in Johanna's stories.

"No, when I retrieve my mail in my boxers, no one sees me," she replied with a wink. Johanna's cheeks blushed lightly under the yellow lamp hanging above their heads. "But yes, once or twice," she conceded. "I'm much more discreet now than I was as a teenager. I thought private school was, you know, private. Other people did not."

"People you dated?" Katniss ventured.

Johanna nodded. "Yes. I once got caught on a date with a girl I met at school."

"How'd they know you were dating? It could've been platonic," Katniss supplied, and off Johanna's amused look, felt about four years old for making that assumption.

Johanna sucked in air through her teeth. "There was no mistaking my head between her legs and my hands on her boobs."

Katniss turned a deep beetroot red. "Oh. Like - like in public?" Katniss was curious about not only the answer to that question, but about the liquid heat that was searing her between the legs. The thought of Johanna, in public, doing ...doing those things, was sending her usually dormant libido straight through the ceiling.

"Yes, darling, like in public." Katniss tried to not look fazed by Johanna's same-sex preference or her crude talk. "And then I got seen once with a boy just before graduation." Oh. Katniss nodded for Johanna to continue her story. "And somewhere on the world wide web there's definitely a grainy photo of me naked in a glass elevator." Katniss's own blush deepened considerably; she made a mental note to do some private window Googling later. "It makes dating rather difficult. People I get close to, they have a habit of disappearing on me." Her eyes dropped to her plate. "Pressure of being with someone with a camera lens on her 24/7. Since then, I've tried to avoid the whole scene." She smirked. "Until now."

Katniss's eyes darted to the door, but there was no one there. She was almost expecting cameras to swarm in. "I'm sure you don't want to be caught out with me," Katniss said, trying not to let the sullenness creep into her tone.

Johanna laughed, giving an appreciative nod to the waiter who retrieved their plates. Johanna's hand reached across the short table and brushed the tops of Katniss's knuckles. "I'd be as stupid as Odair if I were anything but flattered to be seen with you, Katniss Everdeen." Her mouth split open into a grin - a grin Katniss could see on her father and grandfather, and her brothers - charming and rakish. But where the Kennedy family's reputation was clean and "Camelot," the Masons were rough and tumble. More Theodore Roosevelt than John F. Kennedy. All of the men were burly and bearded, all looking like lumberjacks or Vikings. Johanna had the masculine charm, but was soft and feminine.

"So you don't date much?"

Johanna shook her head. "I keep busy with the work for the guv'ment," she reasoned, looking down at her plate. "I sorta hate the whole scene anyway." Her eyes looked up. "Tonight notwithstanding," she added with a quirk of her lips. "What about you? Go on a lot of blind dates?"

Katniss huffed out a laugh. "Not even close."

"I find that hard to believe. Gorgeous girl like you? I imagine you're beating guys away from your door. You'd certainly have been beating me away if we had gone to the same college at the same time." Johanna flicked her head to get some of her scarlet locks out of her eyesight.

Katniss licked her lips and gave Johanna a sly smile. "Who says I'd want to keep you away?"

Johanna chuckled lowly and Katniss felt it reverberate in her chest. "Touché, Everdeen." Johanna sighed and looked over at her. "Room for dessert?"

Katniss rubbed her belly. "I'm afraid not," she said glumly.

"Perhaps next time, then?" Johanna propositioned as she slid a black card into the check presenter. Katniss fumbled in her purse for a moment but Johanna's hand reached across the table and gripped her wrist. Katniss's eyes snapped up. "Don't, please, let this be my treat for my idiot cousin's behavior." Her thumb traced across Katniss's wrist and she hoped Johanna couldn't feel her pulse racing.

The waiter came and took the check. "You don't have to do that, it was already nice of you to eat with me."

"Was it?" Johanna's eyes sparkled. "Or did I steal the most beautiful girl on either side of the Mississippi River right from underneath my brainless cousin's nose?" The waiter returned with the check, and Johanna quickly scribbled on the receipt. She tucked her credit card back into her wallet and stood up. She took Katniss's hands in her own and lifted her to a standing position. After saying her goodbyes to the owner, Johanna escorted Katniss back outside. The rain had let up, leaving only the wonderful smell of petrichor to rise into the night air. Katniss loved the first rain after a dry spell. She took a deep inhale of the air and tilted her head up toward the sky. Back home Katniss could see almost all the constellations for the seasons, but near the university there was too much light pollution. It always made her wish to be transported back in time, to when there was no light pollution and nothing stood in between the earth and the sky.

"Do you mind if I walk you back to your dorm? Not to go all chauvinist on you - I'm sure you can handle yourself - but I'd like to see you get back to your dorm safely." Katniss realized they were already moving toward the university and she shrugged.

"I don't mind," Katniss replied with a smile. "Wouldn't want to sully your good reputation by telling everyone you dined and ditched me." Johanna glanced over at her as she took her arm again, giving her a smirk. Katniss liked putting that expression on Johanna's face - the one of approval.

A block or two into their walk, Johanna looped her arm through Katniss's. "Okay, Miss Everdeen, let's play a little game." Katniss raised her eyebrow but didn't respond. "A get to know you game. Favorite color?"

"Green," Katniss replied. "Yours?"

"Red. Favorite food?"

"Ice cream. You?"

"C'mon, I'm from Washington. Cedar-plank salmon."

"Never had it," Katniss replied with a shrug.

Johanna stopped in her tracks. "Well one day you'll come visit D7 and we'll make you the best damn salmon you've ever had. You'll love it there, anyway. Loads of woods for you to do your archery in." Katniss smiled. She liked that Johanna wanted to take her to her home. It was far and away, both figuratively and literally, from the backwoods of where she came from. "Favorite body part?"

Katniss paused. "On me or on someone else?"

Johanna grinned. "Someone else."

"Smile."

"Smile?" The older girl scoffed. "You can do better than that, Everdeen."

"I like smiles!" Katniss protested. Johanna seemed unimpressed so Katniss sighed. "Fine. I like arms. Biceps, specifically." She didn't like big biceps, either. She just liked how they felt in her hands when someone used their arms. She began to daydream what Johanna's would feel like under some exertion.

Johanna pursed her lips. "Nice," she drawled, interrupting Katniss's embarrassing thought train.

"What's yours?"

"Hands," Johanna replied immediately. "I like hands." She took one of Katniss's in her own, examining each of her digits. She traced her fingers along the underside of Katniss's hands, up from her palm to the pads of her fingers. "I like callouses and those little life lines. I like to feel how strong they are. It's always been amazing to me, how someone's hands can be so strong, and yet, just the lightest of touches can set off fireworks." Johanna met her eyes briefly before dropping her hand gently. "You can tell a lot about someone by their hands."

Katniss knew her fingers were strong from having done archery since she was old enough to toddle. She was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to show Johanna just how strong they were. "What do mine tell you?"

The older girl smiled. "They tell me that you haven't had an easy life. A little rough but they still have that feminine softness to them." Johanna took Katniss's hand again and inspected her. "Your fingers are strong, but that's to be expected from an archer. Your nails are short, but clean, so maybe you play sports. Or you're a lesbian. Though those are rather mutually inclusive, aren't they?" Johanna chuckled to herself. "They tell me that perhaps they'd like to touch my hands, too."

Johanna entwined their fingers and swung their joined hands back and forth a little as they continued down the blocks. It was only about five blocks back to the dorm, and they traversed the last few before Johanna spoke again. "So, what's your dream, Katniss?"

"My dream?"

Johanna nodded. "Mhm. Everyone has The Dream. The 'If Money Was No Object And I Could Do Everything I Wanted And Be Good At It' Dream."

Katniss mused on that for the next block. If she could go anywhere, do anything? There were plenty of fantasies she wanted to live, but one she would do if she could do anything? "I'd like to run an archery camp for kids. Teach them how to use a traditional bow and arrow, you know? Like my dad did with me. Responsible hunting and camping."

"I think that sounds fabulous," Johanna responded as they crossed the large lawn toward the dorm's front door. "Living in the woods, hanging out with little humans all day."

"I think it would bore you to tears," Katniss laughed.

Johanna grinned slyly. "Perhaps, but if it were with you, then maybe I could find some way to entertain myself." Katniss swallowed and gave Johanna a shy smile before her wide set brown eyes looked at the building to her right. "So this is your stop, hm?" The building was tall, 14 stories high, looking as if it was going to touch the dispersing clouds. "What floor are you on?"

"Twelve," Katniss answered, rummaging in her pockets for her swipe key to the building.

"Well, Katniss Everdeen, there's only one question left. Actually, two, depending on how you answer the first."

"Okay."

Johanna cleared her throat. "One, do you date girls?"

Katniss blinked. Did she date girls? She didn't really date anyone. Just her childhood boyfriend, Peeta Mellark, whom she hadn't dated since they were 12 and hadn't seen since he left for culinary school. Briefly during high school she dated Gale Hawthorne, the boy next door, but that didn't last, either. So no, she didn't date girls. But looking at Johanna, she didn't see why not. "I-I think I could," came Katniss's late reply, sheepishly looking at the ground. When she caught Johanna's eyes, the girl was curling that grin at her again.

"I can handle that," Johanna quipped with a nod. "And my second question, then, is would you like to do this again some time?"

There was a hint of nervousness in Johanna's tone that Katniss hadn't heard all night. It was rather endearing. Summoning up her courage from the alcoholic depths of her stomach, Katniss nodded. "I would."

"It doesn't have to be dinner," Johanna elaborated. "Maybe just some coffee, or a walk." Her eyes lit up. "Actually, there's a fabulous exhibit at the museum that opened a week ago," she gushed. "It's on Alexander the Great, I believe. I could take you."

Katniss didn't have the heart to tell Johanna she had seen the exhibit several times already, and bobbed her head. She had never seen it with someone who cared; she either went alone, or dragged Madge with her. Going with Johanna seemed exponentially more interesting. Not only for Johanna's company, but it would be a chance for her to show off her knowledge. Maybe erase the 'poor girl who got stood up' image of her Johanna probably had. "Any of that sounds good," she agreed. "I have some tests coming up, but I'm free Friday."

Johanna grinned. "Whatever I have planned, I'll move it around. So, Friday around seven sound okay?" Johanna reached her into her back pocket and pulled out her wallet, sliding a sleek forest green card from within it and handing it to Katniss. "If I give you my number, will you use it?"

Katniss smirked. "Why? If I don't will your family have me taken out or something?" Katniss teased, poking Johanna in her stomach. Johanna pursed her lips in amusement.

"Hey, you know what happened to Marilyn Monroe," Johanna joked, nudging Katniss with her elbow.

Katniss chuckled and nodded. "Sure, but Marilyn Monroe was supposedly sleeping with the President. I'd only be sleeping with his granddaughter," Katniss said before she could stop herself. She could feel the tops of her ears and cheeks burning with embarrassment. Johanna gave her an impressed look.

"Well, you sure are full of surprises tonight, aren't you, Katniss Everdeen?"

Katniss ducked her head and ran her fingers through her hair. "You seem to bring that out in me." When she met Johanna's gaze again, the girl was biting her lip in an infuriatingly sexy manner. "Yes, I'll text you so you have my number."

"Good. Okay. So, thank you for a wonderful dinner. It definitely beat sitting in my hotel poring over paperwork all night." Johanna stubbed the ground with her foot. "It beat most of my dates, too, actually."

"It is missing something, though," Katniss started, taking a small step closer to Johanna. The girl's cedar brown eyes whipped up at her. For once, maybe in her entire life, someone was holding Johanna back against the ropes. Katniss was very glad it was her. She stepped forward, tilting her head down to capture Johanna's lips in a tender, but fervent kiss.

Katniss was surprised at her own boldness, but greatly glad she had taken the chance. Johanna's kiss was so unlike Johanna. Her lips tasted like the spice of their dinner, but they were so soft and gentle. Shy, almost, Katniss thought as she grinned into their kiss. She was rewarded with a soft gasp when she ran her tongue along Johanna's bottom lip, and felt Johanna's hands curl around the edges of her jacket. It was nice, kissing someone with soft lips, someone she had to crane down a bit to reach her mouth. Maybe she should've been dating girls all along. The pulsing throb between her legs was also a good indicator that she may prefer the fairer sex. Or maybe it was just Johanna.

Either way, the gentle probing of Johanna's tongue in her mouth was about to make her swoon. They broke apart, and Katniss looked down through hooded lids at Johanna, who for the first time that night, looked slightly off-balance. "Full of surprises," Johanna breathed.

"Thank you," Katniss whispered against Johanna's breath, "for a wonderful date, Not-Finnick-Odair."

Johanna's lips turned upward and she took Katniss's hand, placing a quick kiss on her knuckles. "Friday?" she asked, an adorable amount of hope in her tone.

"Friday," Katniss confirmed. The brunette walked to her door, swiping her pass to let herself into the dorm. She turned around and waved to Johanna, who was watching her leave with her hands in the small pockets of her slacks, a crooked smile on her lips. She looked so darling that Katniss wanted to scoop her into her arms again and kiss her until they both saw stars, but she didn't. "Wait," Katniss called as she held the door open with her foot. "You never told me your dream."

Johanna licked her lips slowly and raised her eyebrow. "Guess you'll have to sleep with me and maybe I'll share my dream with you in the morning," she quipped with a large grin on her face and an exaggerated wink. Katniss chewed on the inside of her cheek and rolled her eyes, walking into the building and resting against the closed door.

Friday, she told herself. She could hold over until Friday. Now all she had to do was tolerate Madge's incessant "I told you so" when she relayed to her the unexpected success of the blind date she so begrudgingly agreed to. Small price to pay for perhaps another chance to kiss Johanna Mason.

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks for JMI for her helpful beta read and her suggestion for the title of this piece.

The inspiration for this is from the Game of Thrones Sansaery story "Sweetest Secret" by itsfaberrytaboo which you can read here, or on AO3. I'd link it but this website is REALLY FUN with its insistence that we not share links.


	2. Chapter 2

"I can't believe you sat through that lecture with me."

Katniss walked with Johanna toward the older girl's car in the parking lot of the museum. Johanna had taken her on their date early Friday afternoon, with the intent of dinner afterward. A lecture on the Ptolemies caught Katniss's eye and the two of them sat through an hour of what Katniss believed to be riveting history. If Johanna was bored, she at least had the grace to hide it. Madge oftentimes fell asleep.

"Why's that? Do I not strike you as an academic, Miss Everdeen?" Johanna inquired with a lift of her eyebrow. She opened the passenger door of the sleek black luxury car. "I'll have you know I was at the top of my class at Yale."

Katniss chuckled as she slid into the leather seat. Johanna closed the door and walked around the hood of the car to her side, getting in and turning the engine over. The car roared to life; soft music filtered through expensive speakers with smooth high end and deep bass. Katniss clicked her seat belt in place and looked over at Johanna. "I'm sure you were. You're a Mason."

Johanna pulled the car into drive and took off down the road. "And what does that mean?"

Katniss shrugged. "It means you're supposed to do well. Aren't you all built for success? Your grandfather is President, your father is a Senator, your oldest brother is the Attorney General for Washington, and your other two brothers are running your family's timber company -"

"Lazy pricks."

"And the other brother is..." Katniss drummed her fingers on her leg. "He's the chef with the Michelin restaurant."

"Good ol' Nate. He's the black sheep of the family." Johanna paused and grinned at her. "Have you been Googling me?"

Katniss had the decency to blush and duck her gaze to the black interior of the car. "It's quite a family when a world famous and award-winning international chef is considered the 'black sheep.'" Johanna shrugged her shoulders and drove the car down the winding back roads that led from the museum toward some farmland.

"At least it deflects attention from me," she sighed.

Katniss snorted. They had been stopped at least five times whilst perusing the museum for people wanting to take photos with her. There was a lot of hand shaking. One older woman even began grilling Johanna on her grandfather's foreign policy. Nobody even noticed Katniss's presence, for which she was glad. But she still resented people taking her time away with Johanna. "Yeah, so much for that. Don't you already have people wanting you to run for Senator?"

"Yeah, in like six years when my father's term is up. I think they call themselves something cute, too. Johanna-Fans or ...Hanna-Fans. Or Fannas? It's something clever." Johanna shook her head. "In any case, that's far down the line. My father just won re-election, due in no small part to my campaign advisement. Truth be told, I don't think I'd win if I ran."

Katniss peered over at her companion. "Why not? You're well qualified. Ivy League, big family name, experience."

"I've never run for office before," Johanna explained. "I've never held office, at least not publicly. And nobody likes me."

"They trust you, though," Katniss countered immediately. "People trust you. And I'm sure they like you. What's not to like?"

"I'm not a politician," she replied evenly. "Though my father would say otherwise." Of all the Mason kids, Johanna was the one they were grooming for the Presidency. Katniss read all their Wikipedias during her studying time, and Johanna was heavily favored to be the next Mason to run for President. Her father didn't want the office, instead preferring to "work in the trenches" of Congress until he retired. "He wants me to take his seat when his term is up."

Katniss blinked a few times, trying to gauge Johanna's reaction to that information. There was more resignation than desire in her eyes, as far as Katniss could tell. "How do you feel about that?"

Johanna cackled at her own expense, tearing her eyes away from the road to look at Katniss. "Like my opinion on it matters. It's never mattered before."

"It does to me," the younger girl replied softly.

The corner of Johanna's lips lifted a little. "Then to tell you, Katniss Everdeen, I'm... ambivalent about it. On one hand, I'd love to make a difference. On the other hand, I've seen what the stress of politics does to someone. What it does to the people they love, too." She shook her head, wisps of her black hair that weren't tied back swaying left and right. "It's not pretty. I mean, you've seen what former President Snow looks like, right? Guy looks like he aged twenty years in the four he was in office."

Katniss shivered. She never liked President Snow. He was a ruthless politician who seemed to slither more than rise through the ranks until he reached the Oval Office. Katniss was not a fan. She was immensely glad to see President Mason take the election years ago. "He's also a snake."

Johanna chuckled. "That's a good word for him. He was an evil bastard and I'm glad to see him out of office. My grandfather still mingles with him, but I don't like him. He always smelled like blood and roses." Johanna gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. "And I didn't like how he'd look at me and my siblings. Like we were meat up in a butcher's window."

"Ew."

"I know." The sun fell behind them as they drove on down the road. Johanna seemed to still be distracted so Katniss stayed quiet. "Besides, I don't know if I can get elected."

"Why not?"

Johanna smirked. "Oh come on. Have you ever seen anyone get elected on his or her first try, being so young? And aside from that, I'm a sexual deviant. My kind doesn't get elected."

Katniss's eyebrows rose to her hairline. "My my, Miss Mason. A sexual deviant?" she teased with a few bats of her lashes. "Do tell me more."

Johanna reached over and nudged her. "You know what I mean. I'm bisexual. If I were a lesbian, maybe that would be different. People could put me in my little dyke box and ship me off with the rest of them. But I'm bisexual. So naturally, I'm a sexual deviant and a slut."

"Is that how people view ...bisexuals?" Katniss didn't know if she should throw herself into that category. She had only dated men before, and never really been attracted to women. Until Johanna.

"Of course. It's apparently very hard to grasp that I find people on both sides of the gender spectrum attractive. People, in this country, are all about the genitals. It's all about whether I'm licking pussy or sucking dick. Which, ironically, to me isn't as important." Johanna sighed. "Don't get me wrong, I love sex. More than the next person, most likely. But when I find someone attractive, it's not because of what they're hiding under their Levi's. It's their laugh, or their smile. Their sense of humor. The way he or she carries themselves; the words they use and don't use."

"And their hands," Katniss interjected with a knowing smile.

Johanna mirrored her smile back. "And their hands. I hate people, but I love people, you know?" Katniss chuckled but nodded her assent. "It's like how some people go out to eat and order the same thing no matter where they go. There are a million different things to eat in the world, and you're going to eat the same hamburger every day? Sure, if that's your thing. Some people are content eating hamburgers every day. I just want to try the whole menu. I want to be open to all experiences. Taste everything."

"Seems reasonable," Katniss replied. "But people don't see sexuality and food as analogous."

"Well people are not very imaginative, by and large." Johanna gripped the steering wheel with both hands. "It's just going to be hard to be elected as a single female with a somewhat sketchy sexuality. The bisexual abyss, so to speak. I guess it wouldn't be as difficult if I were married, to a man or a woman, but that is potentially rather far off."

Large, rolling farmland whizzed by their windows. The green of the fields blanketed nicely against the deep sapphire blue of the almost-night sky. Katniss leaned her head against the glass of the passenger side window. "Maybe not that far off. I once read an article that it only takes two hours to fall in love with someone."

Johanna's lips quirked upward and she looked at Katniss through the side of her eye, and then turned to the road. "Falling in love is easy," Johanna responded with a nod. "It's staying in love that's hard."

"Why's that?"

"Because falling in love isn't a choice. We don't choose whom we love, or why we love them. But staying with that person, seeing them through their faults and their weaknesses, it takes patience. Loving someone whose every movement is tracked 24/7? That takes more than just patience, it takes work. Sometimes, it's more work than it's worth." Johanna stared hard at the darkening road ahead of them, her voice tightening. "Or least that's what they've told me."

Katniss felt a pang in her heart. She opened her mouth to say something comforting - anything - but nothing came to mind. Johanna looked like she hadn't meant to reveal that, keeping her intense brown eyes on the road ahead without even so much as a glance in her direction. Katniss was so distracted by her own inner turmoil she didn't notice the car slowing down until Johanna let out a few colorful expletives.

"Excuse me?" Katniss looked over at Johanna, who brought the car off the road and put it into park. Johanna rested her head on the steering wheel. "Is everything okay?"

Johanna sucked in some air and side-eyed her. "Sort of." She grimaced sheepishly. "I think the car ran out of gas."

"Oh. That still happens? This is a fancy car; it doesn't run on sunlight and rainbows or something?" Katniss unbuckled her seat belt and placed her hands in her lap. "Do you have roadside assistance?"

Johanna shrugged. "Probably. But it's late and we're in the middle of nowhere. I'll give them a call. Just stay put." Rapidly Johanna unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car, pulling out her cell phone and walking a few feet away into the wheat field they had parked next to. Katniss couldn't hear the conversation, but she saw Johanna gesticulating wildly and presumed the conversation was not going well. Johanna angrily pressed her thumb against the phone and shoved it back into her pocket. She came to Katniss's door and opened it, inhaling in a deep breath. "Would you like the good news or the bad news first?"

"I'm a bad news first kinda girl," Katniss answered as she stepped out of the car.

"Fair. The bad news is, according to my phone, the nearest gas station is seven miles away. Neither one of us are making that walk in the dark. And, of course, the towing company can't get here for another two hours. Something about an accident on another highway. The triple bad news is I had to basically bribe the Secret Service not to follow me, so we might have had help, but I kinda ruined it."

Katniss chuckled and leaned against the door, crossing her arms across her chest. "Wow that's quite a bit of bad news. Do you actually have any good news?"

"The good news is I was a Girl Scout, so I'm prepared," she drawled with a wink. Johanna opened her backseat door and retrieved something from the floor. She withdrew a basket with a blanket folded over it and gripped it in both her palms. "My plan was to bring you to a little spot I know not too far from here and share a nice picnic dinner. I've got wine, too."

Katniss grinned and eyed the basket. The look in Johanna's eyes was so darling Katniss wanted to kiss her right then. "That's precious."

Johanna gaped. "It is not precious; it's charming and romantic," she defended with a pout. Johanna brushed past her and went to the hood of the car, spreading the blanket over it. She quickly retrieved the wine bottle and glasses from her back seat and motioned for Katniss to join her. "C'mon, we'll adapt. The hood is warm, the night is cool. All the stars are out. C'mon, Katniss Everdeen." Johanna grinned. "I know this is a little unorthodox, but are you game?"

Katniss chuckled at the reiteration of the last date they had and she nodded. She climbed on the hood and sat Indian style, taking the sandwich from Johanna's hand. Katniss took a generous bite and closed her eyes. "Mmm, wow. Did you make these?"

The raven-haired girl nodded and poured them each a glass of wine. "Of course I did. When I take a beautiful girl out on a date, I don't half-ass it."

Katniss swallowed her food and cocked an eyebrow. "Take out a lot of beautiful girls?" She hoped to cover the jealousy in her tone with a joking intonation. By the amused look on Johanna's face, she hadn't done that very successfully.

Johanna took a long sip from her wine. "This is the second time in a week, matter of fact." Katniss narrowed her eyes in confusion and Johanna chuckled. "With you, brainless. This is our second date in a week. So, in this week, yes. I've had exactly two dates with a beautiful girl. Smart, too." Katniss blushed as Johanna reached over and brushed some of her brown hair behind her ear. "She's witty, and compassionate. Patient. Kinda sassy, which I gotta say I really dig in a girl."

"Wow, she sounds like a keeper," Katniss replied with a grin.

Johanna leaned in closer to her. "She does, doesn't she? And the topper is - she's one hell of a kisser." The older girl placed her fingers on Katniss's jaw, inclining toward her so their lips brushed as she spoke. "Most people, they're intimidated by me." Johanna tilted her head, her eyes sparkling. "They make me take the lead. But she saw what she wanted and took it."

"Yeah?" Katniss whispered, taking her bottom lip between her teeth. "Did you - did you like when she took the lead?"

Johanna nodded. "Oh yes. But if it were to happen again, well." Johanna's eyes dipped down to Katniss's chest, then slowly back up to her eyes. "I'll make her fight me for it." Katniss wrapped her hand around Johanna's neck and pulled her in for a fearsome kiss. Hungrily she pulled herself up so more of their bodies made contact, her breath hitching in her throat as Johanna's tongue lined her lower lip and swept into her mouth. Katniss had no desire to try and control this kiss; she wanted Johanna far too much at the moment to make a power move.

Johanna's hand slid around the back of her head, the other around her waist, and she gently coaxed her onto her back, never breaking contact with her lips. Katniss's torso pressed against the windshield as Johanna greedily and fervently continued their embrace, leaving her mouth only to trail the tip of her tongue down the hollow of Katniss's throat. Katniss wasn't sure what words came out of her mouth - something between a curse and a prayer - when Johanna moved her hand beneath her shirt and traced her lower back as she assaulted her neck. Her hands clutched at the sides of Johanna's blouse, crinkling the neatly pressed material in her hands.

Their lips met again in a less frenzied kiss, and the hand Johanna had sneaking around her bare skin came up to her face. Katniss wasn't sure how long they kissed for; her lungs burned for oxygen and her hips shook with need. Johanna's left hand worked her back, and her right hand scratched the nape of her neck as she sluggishly kissed her swollen, parted lips. Katniss saw stars, literally, above Johanna's head when she pulled away, blinking to refocus on her wide brown eyes, hugely dilated from arousal. Johanna smiled sheepishly and tucked some strands of Katniss's hair behind her ear again. "Hey," she rasped, her voice just above a whisper.

"Hey yourself." Katniss felt something beneath her and stuck her hand underneath her thigh, withdrawing the forgotten sandwich, now compressed beneath her weight. "Ew."

Johanna looked at her hand and chuckled, still not moving her weight from on top of Katniss. The younger girl was not going to complain. In fact, she wrapped her arms around Johanna and forced the older, but more petite, girl to snuggle into her body. "That's a shame, too. I'm suddenly very hungry."

"Oh?" Katniss looked down at Johanna with a bemused grin.

"Mhm," Johanna replied, using her free hand to trace little circles beneath the hem of Katniss's shirt. "This isn't exactly how I saw tonight going, which has sort of been the par for our dates." Katniss scrunched her face and Johanna chortled, giving her a short kiss on the lips. "Not in a bad way. I mean, any night that ends with me kissing a beautiful girl is one to write in the diary. I meant, getting stuck on the side of the road in what looks like where they might've filmed Deliverance or something, squishing our dinner under your ass. Not so much."

Katniss licked her lips and motioned for Johanna to sit up, and followed suit. "This is the end of our night?" Katniss asked, linking her fingers together. "Once the tow truck comes with the gas?"

Johanna stared out into the vast field beside them, a distance coming into her eyes. Katniss gulped. This is what she was afraid of; that this was just a good time for Johanna. The trepidation or anxiety must've been written plainly on her face because Johanna looked at her sympathetically. "Not by choice," Johanna replied regretfully. She heaved a big sigh. "I have to go back to DC. I was only here on a short vacation to visit Finnick. Now that Dad's in office, he wants me to be his chief of staff. He's the Majority Leader of the Senate, which means a lot of work for me corralling support from people that owe us one. And paying back favors."

"Whoa. That's some House of Cards stuff." Johanna smirked and bobbed her head. "Is that really what it's like?"

"For the most part. A lot less killing, I think. But the same amount of backstabbing bullshit and whoring around by married men and women. Not my Dad, though," Johanna quickly corrected. "He actually loves my mother. It does mean that I spend a lot of my day intimidating people over the phone and calling in debts."

"That's," Katniss trailed, biting her lip, "kinda hot."

Johanna rolled her eyes and shifted her weight so she was flat on her back, her eyes staring up at the wide blanket of stars. "People are very attracted to power. But it's not nearly as attractive when you see it up close. Like a pointillist painting." Katniss hummed and rolled onto her side to face the raven-haired girl. "There's this really homophobic Republican Senator that I had the displeasure of having to interact with. She's got a lot of weight to throw around, so I needed her to 'reach across the aisles' so to speak and help my Dad with his campaign. I took her to dinner; I managed to get her some favors in her district. Nothing. Finally I got fed up, grabbed some wine, and talked myself into her hotel room. You'd be surprised the kinds of things people are willing to say when you liquor them up."

"Such as?"

Johanna looked up into the sky. "Such as her whole marriage is a sham. She's a beard and her husband's a merkin."

Katniss tilted her head. "What's a merkin?"

Johanna blinked. "You've never seen The L Word?" Katniss shook her head. "You didn't miss much. Anyway, a merkin is technically a vagina wig? It's the female equivalent of a beard." Katniss stared at her blankly. "Oh, you really are innocent, aren't you?" Johanna tucked her lip between her teeth. "God, that's hot," she groaned, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. "Damn. Anyway, they're both gay and married to cover it up. She tells me all of this in a DC hotel room, while she's drunk off her ass, stripping out of her clothes."

"She told you her marriage was a sham?"

Johanna nodded sagely. "Yup. Admitted the whole thing. How they only had sex once to make their kid. Anyhow, she takes off all her clothes, and I gotta tell you, she's a very attractive older woman. Underneath all those pantsuits and that terrible hair, goddamn. She's got an ass you could flip a coin off of." Johanna compressed her lips to suppress a grin. "Maybe that's how she got her name."

The gears in Katniss's mind churned and her eyes flew open. "Did you sleep with Senator Coin?" Katniss nearly spit out, sputtering.

Johanna's raucous laughter made Katniss glare at her in contempt and Johanna put up her hand. "I'm sorry, your face." Once Johanna regained her composure she cleared her throat and continued. "Of course not. Not that she didn't try. But I did spend the night." Katniss furrowed her brow. "She woke up with me sitting in the chair next to her bed, in her robe, eating from some room service I ordered." Johanna grinned. "Had to make sure someone saw me in there so I ordered eggs benedict to the room."

Katniss gaped at her, spinning her body so she could sit cross-legged, perpendicular to Johanna's prone form. "What did she say?"

Johanna looked up at her. "She freaked out. It was hilarious. I wish I could've filmed it and put it on YouTube. I had her totally convinced we slept together. Turns out, getting her support wasn't so hard after all."

"You blackmailed her?"

"I merely suggested that perhaps it would behoove her to support my father's campaign, lest somehow the information of her philandering or her sexual deviance got to the Post or the Times. I went to college with one of the staff editors at the Washington Post. I mean, who knows what things I might say to him over a drink or two, you know?" Johanna grinned rakishly and Katniss drew her eyes down Johanna's blouse to her black slacks, then back up to her eyes. "What?"

"I am wondering why I'm finding that morally dubious behavior so attractive."

Johanna lifted herself up onto her elbows and cocked an eyebrow. "Power, baby. It's quite an aphrodisiac." Katniss leaned in to kiss Johanna again, but the girl raised a small hand and placed it on her sternum, pushing Katniss upward. "Wait, Katniss." She slid her hand up Katniss's collarbone and around the side of her neck, brushing her thumb over her pulse. "Like I said, I'm going back to DC. When I'm working, I'm never available and I can be gone on long trips. I make an effort to not get attached to people." Johanna sighed and sat up, swiveling on her bottom to face Katniss. "I really, really like you. But I don't want to put you through what being with me is like. Weeks away, being followed or hounded by press, living under scrutiny. That's not something I want for you."

Katniss placed her hand over Johanna's on her neck. "Do you remember what you told me on our date? About my hands?"

Johanna knit her eyebrows together and canted her head to the side. "I remember saying you have strong fingers," she replied with a leer.

The brunette laughed. "Yes. And that I haven't had an easy life. You're right, I haven't. We didn't have a lot of money growing up. I got teased some. My parents' marriage was considered sacrilege because he's Native and she's white. I got called 'half-breed' a lot."

Johanna growled in her throat, a flame rising in her eyes. "What is this, the fifties? That's fucking disrespectful. You know, if you give me some names I can have them wiped off the planet."

Katniss chuckled again and took Johanna's hand in her own. "I know you can. I find that both arousing and repulsive in equal measure. I'm not sure what that says about me." Johanna ducked her gaze and Katniss continued. "I've never had an easy life, and I don't want one now. I think I want the work that comes with being with you. I like work. I like you."

Johanna smiled weakly, but the sentiment didn't reach her eyes. "You say that now, but you don't understand. What we encountered today in the museum is not even a taste of what I go through. Everything I've ever done since I was born has been in the public eye. It will only get worse as I get closer to potentially taking office. You won't have privacy."

"It's the 21st century, Johanna, I don't have privacy now. I have a Facebook. I lost my privacy long ago," she ribbed.

Johanna smirked and rolled her eyes. "That's not the same thing. Eventually, you'll realize that being with me is not worth all you have to give up for it."

"Johanna, we can't predict the future. Why gamble away what you have now over some situation that may never come up?"

Johanna shrugged. "That's my job. It's like chess; I have to stay at least two moves ahead, or I end up losing." Johanna dragged her eyes from the hood of the car to Katniss's gray, imploring hues. "Or I get my heart broken."

Katniss firmed up her stare and straightened her back. "You said you enjoyed my taking the lead, so I'm doing it again. I'm going to date you, Johanna Mason. I don't care what people think, never have, don't think I ever will." She leaned in closer to her. "Unless I've totally misjudged the situation, I want to be with you, and you want to be with me, so we're doing this."

The corners of Johanna's mouth lifted in amusement. "Are we now? You've decided this?"

"Yes," Katniss replied curtly. "Because you're waffling and that's not what Masons do. Masons are direct. They make decisions and they take risks." Katniss tilted her head to the side. "Or are you going to let down the long line of burly, brash men from which you descend?"

"No ma'am," Johanna answered with a salute. Katniss nudged her with her free hand and Johanna smirked. She rubbed her arms up and down and looked around. "Do you want to get in the car? It will be at least marginally warmer in there."

"Sure." Katniss slid off the hood and helped Johanna clean up their picnic and put away the wine and the basket in the trunk. They climbed into the backseat of the car, huddling under the blanket they had used to sit on the hood. Their lips met again, and Katniss began urgently undoing the buttons of Johanna's blouse. Katniss placed open-mouthed kisses on the newly exposed pale skin of Johanna's breasts, held in a white lace bra that left little to the imagination, then trailed her mouth down her stomach. Johanna groaned above her, tangling her fingers in her hair. Katniss kissed back up her abdomen to Johanna's mouth, delving her tongue to duel with Johanna's and sucking on the tip of it, as they broke apart.

She climbed on Johanna's lap, the blanket forgotten, and Johanna quickly pulled Katniss's shirt over her head. Their hands smacked the ceiling but neither of them noticed, connecting to one another again in a heated embrace. Johanna's hands splayed out flat against Katniss's back, touching as much of her skin as she could. Katniss gasped into Johanna's mouth, panting with arousal. Nothing in her life had ever made her feel so much like she was made of fire from within. A hot coal burned in the bottom of her stomach, setting her insides to flame. She took hold of the elastic band holding Johanna's hair back and tugged it out, running her fingers through the mop of black and scarlet locks.

"Johanna," she panted, as the older girl dragged her nails down Katniss's back. Katniss arched into her and poured more desire into their kiss, grinding her hips down against Johanna's with a purpose that felt primal. Hooking up in the backseat of a car was not something Katniss was practiced in, but her body knew what it wanted. It wanted Johanna, closer to her, inside her. Everywhere she could be and more.

Bright white lights made Katniss squint as she looked over Johanna's shoulders and out the back window to the dark road. Johanna turned her head to look and groaned in disapproval. "Good fucking timing, Tow Truck Guy. Shit." Katniss dismounted Johanna's hips and began searching the car for her shirt. Johanna began buttoning her blouse as the man's truck grumbled behind them, and his door slammed shut. Johanna leaned over and gave Katniss a firm, quick kiss. "Stay down."

Johanna opened the car door and closed it behind her. Katniss found her shirt on the floor and quickly pulled it over her head, pulling her hair out of the back. She could hear the tow truck driver's voice, but luckily he couldn't see into Johanna's car due to her blackened windows. "What happened? Ran outta gas?"

She peered at them through the back windshield and saw Johanna run her fingers through her hair. "That would be the assumption, as the little squares all disappeared."

"It happens. Sorry about the delay, it was hell on Route 2." The man went to the back of his truck and retrieved a red gas can, ambling over toward the car. "You look familiar."

"Johanna Mason, President Mason's granddaughter."

"Damn the President's granddaughter and you still ran outta gas? Ain't you got Secret Service?"

Katniss heard and saw Johanna sigh impatiently. "Yes. But I was on a date and I didn't want to be interrupted."

"Ah that would explain..." the man trailed off. "You've got your buttons all mixed up on your shirt." Katniss stifled a giggle inside the car. She watched the man walk around and open the gas tank, and presumably begin filling it. "Where's your date?"

"In the car," Johanna replied curtly.

The man peered into the windows, but Katniss knew she couldn't be seen. She could see him, though, and saw his scraggly but friendly face, and his curly brown hair tucked into a red trucker cap. "Lucky guy in there."

"Sure, if you count being stranded in this backwater lucky."

They stood in silence until Katniss heard the spin of the gas cover and he slammed the little door. "Well you're all set, Miss Mason." Johanna dug into her pocket and produced a number of bills and Katniss's eyes enlarged. So did the driver's. "Ma'am that's far too much."

"I'm aware," Johanna replied coolly. "I'm putting a tip in there for you. For your anticipated discretion about what happened here tonight."

"Ohhh," the man drew out, taking the bills and putting them in the breast pocket of his shirt. "Absolutely. You know, I voted for Mason."

"Well thank you, then," Johanna answered with a smile. It wasn't her real smile though, Katniss noted. It was something put-upon and practiced. "What's your name?"

"Bernie."

"Bernie, thank you. Do you do other services aside from roadside assistance?"

The man scratched his stomach and nodded. "I run an auto shop down on First and Brookside."

"That's near the college, yes? And what's the name?"

"Around the block, matter of fact. Bernie's Auto Shop."

"Wonderful." She placed her hand on his hairy arm. "I know a few people on the board at the college. They've been looking for a reliable auto shop to take the college's official vehicles to for routine maintenance and issues. I'll be sure to forward your name along."

Bernie appeared flabbergasted. "That's very kind of you, Miss Mason."

"Not at all, Bernie. I appreciate you coming out here to help me. Have a good night."

"You too. Good luck with your date." Johanna gave him a tight-lipped smile as he walked back to his car. She waited outside the car until Bernie drove off, giving him a wave as his taillights disappeared into the distance. Johanna sighed and opened the passenger's side door and peered in.

"Sorry about that. Why don't you hop back up front and I'll take you home?" Johanna didn't wait for an answer. She closed the door and opened the one to the driver's side, settling into the seat. Johanna buckled her seat belt and turned the engine over, waiting for Katniss to climb up front. She did, and once she was secured into her seat, Johanna spun the car around and began driving back toward the college.

The ride was silent, save for the radio playing some alternative rock station. Johanna's phone was docked in the center of the car, and every so often lit up with CNN updates and intermittent texts from people Katniss didn't know. Anxiousness made her extremities twitch. Her body still pulsed with desire from their kiss, and sitting next to Johanna in this awkward quiet was more than she could stand.

"Pull over." Johanna peered over at her and squinted in confusion. "Pull over," Katniss repeated, a little louder, and pointed to the side of the road. Johanna obliged her and pulled off the road, tires crunching over the soft dirt. Katniss unbuckled her seat belt and narrowed her eyes. "Push your seat back."

"Katniss, what are you doing?"

"Just push your seat back," Katniss replied with the most even tone she could manage. She was glad for one skill she had: the ability to wipe her emotions off her face. She was hoping the desire building inside her stomach was not as evident as she felt it was. Johanna reached down and pushed the small electronic lever that made her seat slide backward. Katniss maneuvered herself over the middle console and settled on Johanna's lap. The girl looked up at her with wide brown eyes and Katniss leaned down to kiss her. Johanna's hands went around her waist, and Katniss deepened the kiss and pressed Johanna back into her seat. She unbuttoned the top of her jeans and pulled down the zipper, then stole Johanna's hand from her waist and shoved her hand between her thighs.

"Katniss," Johanna breathed, craning her head up to try and catch Katniss's eye. "Shit." Johanna slid her fingers underneath the hem of Katniss's underwear, right into her folds and Katniss watched the girl's head tip back and her swollen lips part. She seemed to be lost for a moment as her fingers moved around Katniss's arousal and her soft, wet lips. "Are you sure-"

"Shhh," Katniss cooed, leaning down to kiss Johanna once more and silence her. "Just touch me." Katniss rocked her hips forward in permission and Johanna expelled an aroused breath. She pushed two fingers into Katniss's folds, lubricating herself and making Katniss groan in pleasure. Johanna returned her fingers to Katniss's clit and rubbed in soft circles as Katniss gyrated in her lap. "Fuck."

Johanna's eyes met hers playfully. "It's really sexy when you swear."

"Shut the fuck up." Katniss grinned at her and Johanna kissed her fiercely once more, tugging on her lower lip. Her free hand went around to the small of Katniss's back and helped her keep a steady rhythm against her hand. Katniss knew the angle was not ideal - the back of Johanna's hand was dug into her zipper - but she didn't care. Her mind was only working at a base level at the moment with the pleasure rising inside her core, spreading to her fingertips. "Oh - oh my god." She clutched at Johanna's biceps, feeling them move and flex with every stroke. It upped her already outrageous level of arousal and her breath starting coming faster. How she wanted to feel the bare skin of Johanna's arms as she exerted herself, but this would have to do for now. She writhed against Johanna's hand harder, letting out a pathetic whimper. "I'm - I'm -"

"I know," Johanna husked into her ear, speeding up the motion of her hand against Katniss's swollen and burning nub. "Fuck, I know."

Katniss surged forward to capture Johanna's lips as her orgasm shook her body, her most sensitive parts pulsing and throbbing with the waning ebbs of desire. Johanna swallowed her moans into her mouth and brought her free hand up to cup Katniss's face as they kissed. Johanna's fingers moved against her slowly, drawing out the tiny aftershocks of pleasure that rippled through Katniss's muscles. She left Johanna's mouth to clench her teeth around the muscle of Johanna's shoulder and held firmly to her as she came down from the peak of her desire.

"That was unexpected, but not unwelcome. And super fucking hot," Johanna said, stroking Katniss's hair with the hand that was not still firmly planted in Katniss's pants. "Do you always put out on the first date?" Johanna cracked with a grin.

Katniss bit down hard on Johanna's shoulder, eliciting a gasp from the older girl and a slight shudder. She withdrew from her position over her shoulder and pulled back to look at Johanna's face, pink and flushed. "This is technically our second date. And, no. I-I never... I mean, I just wanted -"

"I know what you wanted. You were pretty clear." Johanna moved her hand around to Katniss's ass, massaging the flesh there. "You are trying to make it impossible for me to stay away from you, aren't you?"

"Is it working?"

Johanna sighed and nodded. "Yes." Katniss pulled Johanna's hand from where it was stationed on her backside and brought her two fingers into her mouth, sucking off the tiny bit of her arousal that still clung to her digits. Johanna grumbled in protest but Katniss continued until Johanna pulled her hand away indignantly. "Give me a break," Johanna whined.

Katniss shook her head. "Nope."

"Fine, then at least get off my lap so I can continue to drive." Katniss sighed and relented, though Johanna's voice sounded far from peeved. There was something else to her tone. An edge to it that didn't seem angry. Perhaps impatient? Katniss shifted in her seat and buttoned her pants, buckling her seat belt and pressing her back against the seat as Johanna's tires squealed against the blacktop as she accelerated.

The scenery rushed by much more quickly than when they traversed the trip the first time. Katniss watched Johanna out of the corner of her eye, noticing the shifting in her seat as Johanna pressed her foot harder on the pedal. There was a pale flush creeping up Johanna's neck and it finally dawned on Katniss why Johanna looked so anxious.

She was turned on.

Katniss bit her lip to stop herself from grinning at Johanna's expense. Within a few minutes they were in front of the lawn that led to her dorm, and Katniss unbuckled her seat belt. "So I guess this is it," Katniss started, pursing her lips.

Johanna agreed with a nod. "I suppose. This has definitely been a date to remember," she said with a grin, turning to face the younger girl.

Katniss shuffled closer and placed her hand on Johanna's cheek, pulling her in for a kiss. Her tongue gently probed inside Johanna's mouth, tasting the wine on her breath. She pulled away and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "If you promise to come back and take me on another date," she began, sliding her hand down Johanna's neck, down her chest, straight to the heat between her legs, "I can help take care of the problem you're having."

"Problem?" Johanna licked her lips. "I'm an adult, I can take care of my own problems." The quiver in her voice made Katniss fairly certain she was full of shit.

Katniss nodded. "Oh I bet you can. But wouldn't it be better with my," Katniss paused and pushed her fingers against Johanna's center and whispered into her ear, "strong archer's fingers?"

Johanna expelled one hard pant and shot Katniss a glare. "You play dirty, Everdeen."

Katniss lifted an eyebrow innocently. "You're from a family of politicians, try to keep up." It seemed to be just the challenge Johanna was looking for because her eyes lit up and her frown turned upward into a grin.

"Katniss Everdeen, you don't know what you've gotten yourself into."

"I think I'm gonna like finding out, Johanna Mason."

* * *

Author's Note: SOOOOO I'm going to continue this story. Not sure about consistency, but I don't imagine this chapter being the last? WHO KNOWS?

Thanks to Johannas-Motivational-Insults for her beta read. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Katniss fidgeted in her seat. She was never good at sitting and waiting. And in this place, well, it was rather intimidating even just to sit. People walked by without even noticing her presence, and why would they? They wore expensive suits with little flag pins affixed to the lapel; she was in her worn leather jacket and jeans, scuffed boots thumping against the tiled floor outside Johanna's office.

The receptionist smiled kindly at her over a mountain of papers. Her bright eyes were sympathetic; Katniss had been waiting for nearly twenty minutes for Johanna to get off the phone so she could see her. The women pressed a button and spoke lowly into the intercom. After a few moments she rose from her seat and motioned for Katniss to stand with perfectly manicured fingernails.

Katniss flashed her a smile in thanks as she opened the door to reveal Johanna pacing back and forth behind a large mahogany desk. Johanna looked up and flapped her hand for Katniss to enter. The woman closed the door behind Katniss and the girl gave a cursory inspection of the office as she locked the door behind her. It was small, white walls adorned with gilded frames of presidents on them. The official portrait of her grandfather hung behind her desk, smiling proudly down at Johanna with the same sparkling brown eyes and black hair, though he had quite a lot of gray in his.

Johanna pressed a button on the phone and a woman's voice was clear through the room. " _Miss Mason, you don't seem to understand the pressure we're under in our district. We have to push our own legislation through, or three hundred people will lose their jobs. We_ -"

"Is it my fault you haven't done enough for job creation in fucking Idaho? That is not my problem, that is your problem. My problem is that you have to support our bill tomorrow, and you're trying to back out on me."

" _I am not trying to back out. I'm merely stating that if I vote yes on your bill it will close two factories in my district and kill the legislation I've been trying to pass. I'll lose my seat next election._ "

Johanna cackled and placed both palms on the desk, leaning forward with a look of intensity on her face. "Lyme, you listen to me. I could get Lucifer a seat on the papal council. If you think you'll lose your precious seat in your backwoods district because of this, you're more brainless than I thought."

" _My people need those jobs._ "

"And they'll have jobs. Christ, can you not see the forest for the trees? The factories will close, yes. The factories that are, as we speak, polluting the fucking air your people are breathing. I'm talking Exxon-Valdez-sized fucking carbon footprint here, Lyme. Push this bill through. It will create twice as many jobs as you're losing, as long as they can wait two years."

" _I am up for re-election next year, Mason. I can't do this._ "

Johanna's eyes darkened considerably and Katniss sat down in the seat on the other side of the desk, watching with rapt attention. "I can secure your goddamn seat, you Amazonian idiot. If you keep watching your own ass that closely, your fucking eyes are gonna turn brown."

" _Your bedside manner leaves something to be desired._ "

"You're right; my bedroom manner is much better but you don't swing that way so I'm not gonna try."

The woman chuckled. " _That's a lot of trust to place in one person. My entire career over one bill, resting on the shoulders of an amateur._ "

"An amateur?" Johanna repeated, blinking a few times. "You ever wanna get out of the House, Lyme?" Johanna didn't wait for a response. "Then fucking get off the porch with the puppies and come play with the big dogs. Don't make me regret this phone call. Don't make me regret sending your name to my grandfather when he asked who should be considered for the Secretary of Defense position once old ass Chaff retires next year."

There was a long pause. " _You gave my name to the President?_ "

Johanna smirked and looked over the desk at Katniss. Katniss felt a thrill in her stomach as their eyes met. She had seen Johanna take phone calls before, but never in her office. Johanna was on her own turf and damn, she was good. Johanna was also wearing a black blouse with the top several buttons undone, leaving the tops of her breasts exposed, which made Katniss's mouth water. She also had on a slim pencil skirt that caused Katniss's breath to hitch in her throat.

"Of course I did. You're the most qualified person to run that department, and between you and me, I have an agenda to put as many experienced vaginas in the President's cabinet as physically possible." Both Katniss and the woman on the phone laughed aloud. "But he thinks you don't have any gumption. You're a decorated veteran and - and this is rare - actually a decent fucking person. However, if you don't have the ovaries to make a hard decision, what business do you have in the cabinet of the goddamn President?" Johanna let the rhetorical question hang in the air before coming down for the kill. It reminded Katniss of watching a bird of prey circle a mouse in the field, then swooping down to bring the rodent in its clutches. "Now are you gonna back this bill or am I going to have to embarrass myself in front of the President and tell him to rescind your name because you're as delicate as a man's balls?"

Katniss heard the woman sigh, and Johanna's turned around and pumped both fists in the air in premature, silent celebration. " _Fine. I'll support the bill. If I support it, you've got at least six more votes there. But I will call in that favor, Mason_."

"You call me anytime you want, Lyme," Johanna drawled, pressing the button on the phone to end the call. Quickly she picked up her cell phone and fired off a text, all while Katniss watched from her seat. "Fucking Lyme. It's like I've got to get on my knees and lick her cunt for votes."

"Ew."

"Except I'd probably have to do it standing because she's as tall as a redwood." Johanna placed her phone down and grinned at Katniss. "Figuratively speaking, of course." Katniss shrugged off her jacket as she stood, walking briskly to Johanna and bringing her arms around her waist, pulling her close. Johanna leaned up for a kiss, smiling into their embrace. "I'm glad you came."

Katniss scoffed as she pulled away. "You act as if I had a choice. You sent a limo for me with Secret Service dudes. I thought I was being arrested." Katniss gave Johanna a droll look. "They were like, 'Miss Everdeen? Can you come with us please?' I thought Madge was going to wet her pants. Then I got closer and saw the little crossed hatchets pin on one of their jackets and I realized it was someone you sent."

Johanna chewed on her bottom lip. "Yes, well, I'm not very good at being subtle." Katniss chuckled against Johanna's mouth and kissed her again, more fully.

"It must be contagious," Katniss purred as she pulled away. "Neither am I." Katniss swiped some papers off Johanna's desk and pushed the other girl against it, propping Johanna's ass on the smooth surface of the desk. "Do you have any more meetings?"

Katniss began lacing hot kisses across Johanna's exposed chest, and the girl groaned in response. Johanna pressed the small red button on her intercom. "Effie, hold my calls please. And I don't have any meetings for the rest of the day, do I?"

There was a short chortle in the intercom before her voice came through with a chirpy, "No, Miss Mason. Your schedule is free."

"Good," Katniss murmured, kissing up Johanna's chest to her neck, licking a stripe up to her ear and snarling, "Because no one's interrupting me this time." She moved her lips back down to Johanna's chest, popping open a few of her buttons to allow herself better access. The brunette placed herself between Johanna's legs, forcing her thighs apart as far as they could be in her restrictive skirt. Katniss's hand trailed up Johanna's inner thigh, tucking her finger around the hem of Johanna's underwear. She dragged them underneath Johanna's ass and crouched to pull them down to her ankles, staring up at the older girl, whose jaw slackened in pure desire. Katniss stood again and took Johanna's lips passionately.

"This isn't why I asked you here," Johanna panted against her mouth. "Not just to - I was going to take you home and -"

"No," Katniss protested as she scratched her nails up the inside of Johanna's thigh to her entrance and ran a finger experimentally through her folds. "Now. Right here," she insisted in a rasp, and plunged a single digit inside Johanna's pussy. Her gray eyes rolled back at the sharp gasp that emitted from Johanna's mouth. Katniss pulled out and pushed Johanna's skirt up her body, exposing her thighs and wet sex to her eyes, spreading her legs further apart. Katniss wasn't sure if Johanna was wet just from their kissing, or from her manipulation of the woman on the phone, but either way it turned Katniss on. She placed two fingers at Johanna's entrance and wasted no time in pressing them inside her, swallowing Johanna's rather loud yelp into her mouth.

"Katniss, fuck," Johanna managed to squeak out in between Katniss's bruising kisses. Katniss wrapped her arm around Johanna's waist tightly, using her other hand to pump in and out of her with no sense of rhythm or timing, only need and desperation. The thought of being inside Johanna had consumed her since they parted in Johanna's car after their date. She didn't consider herself a sexual person, but Johanna set alight a lot of feelings she didn't know she had. She certainly didn't expect to have given herself up in the car on the way home but the need to have Johanna relieve the tension inside her stomach was more than she could bear.

Katniss briefly wished she had shown some restraint now, wanting to see all of Johanna's pale white flesh go pink with arousal, instead of just her breasts and her neck. But the little whimpers of pleasure and groans of abandon that fell from Johanna's mouth immediately extinguished her regrets. Johanna's lips found their way to Katniss's ear and she began whispering things into it that made a heat spread inside Katniss's stomach. Filthy things that made her skin blush from head to toe and spurred her on. It also caused a flood of arousal to begin seeping inside her own pants, something she'd be embarrassed about if she wasn't so delirious with want.

Johanna's head tipped back and Katniss felt her fingers begin to get squished as Johanna's inner walls contracted against her. To relieve the cramping in her hand she curled her fingers, and Johanna let out something sharp and shrill that Katniss assumed was pleasure. "Not so loud," she shamed with a grin, "you'll get me arrested for trying to kill the President's granddaughter."

"Fuck, sorry," Johanna panted, squeezing her eyes shut. "Just - oh my god - right there - please." Katniss kissed her, plunging her tongue deep into Johanna's mouth as she curled her fingers in the same manner she had before. Johanna let out a small cry but this time she was smothered by Katniss's tongue. She could feel Johanna's legs trembling around her midsection, and feel the shake of her hips as she cradled Johanna in her arm. Katniss didn't know the first thing about fucking another woman, but by the look of pure ecstasy on Johanna's face, she figured she was doing pretty well.

Johanna's body jolted against her a few times; low groans rumbling inside Katniss's mouth as she sucked on the tip of Johanna's tongue, the older girl's climax rolling through her in waves. Johanna's hands, which were propped up behind her as Katniss was holding her, were now wrapped tightly around Katniss's shoulders, bringing them closer together.

Katniss pulled away first, sheepishly pulling Johanna's skirt back to its original position and trying to smooth out the wrinkles. Johanna chuckled and took in a deep, shuddering breath. "That was unexpected, but not unwelcome," she breathed in a voice barely above a whisper. Her deep brown eyes, still dilated with desire, peered up at Katniss. "Though I have to say, for future reference, I've always had this fantasy of sitting at my desk while someone on their hands and knees eats me out." Katniss crouched again and slowly pulled Johanna's underwear up her legs, and Johanna hopped off the desk to shimmy them up over her hips. "What about you? Any latent sexual fantasies you've always wanted to try out?" Katniss blushed and ducked her gaze to the desk, tucking her lip between her teeth. "Oh come on. You just fucked me in my office, on my desk, in front of the portrait of my grandfather, and you're gonna play shy?"

"I'm not playing shy!" Katniss protested with an indignant stomp of her foot. Her eyes moved from the top of the desk to Johanna's amused face. "I've never thought about it before."

Johanna ran her tongue across her lips and Katniss flicked her eyes there, then back up. "You make me feel like I'm corrupting the youth of America when you look at me like that." Johanna's lips spread in a wicked grin. "It totally turns me on."

"I noticed," Katniss remarked, drawing her middle finger - still coated in Johanna's arousal - up to her mouth and sucking on it. She maintained eye contact with the older girl until she pulled her finger out with a theatrical pop. Johanna chuckled and reached back, withdrawing a tissue from the box on her desk and taking Katniss's hand in hers. She wiped off the slightly sticky residue from her fingers, balling up the tissue and tossing it in the wastebasket near her desk.

"You were right about those strong archer's fingers, fuck," Johanna moaned, shivering a little. She squirted some hand sanitizer into Katniss's open palm. "We'll have to do this again some time."

Katniss arched her eyebrow as she rubbed her hands together. "You plan on kidnapping me for sex fairly often?"

"I didn't kidnap you for sex," Johanna corrected with narrowed eyes, taking a tissue for herself and wiping between her legs. Katniss raised her eyebrows pointedly and Johanna moved her gaze to the used tissue and rolled her eyes as she threw it out. "Not that I didn't enjoy myself, because there is rather abundant proof that I did." She bit her lip and ducked her gaze to the floor between them. "I actually just," she sighed, "I couldn't get away from my desk and I really wanted to see you again."

"That right?" Katniss ventured, wrapping her arms around Johanna's waist and pressing their torsos together. "How much of me would you like to see?"

Johanna wiggled her eyebrows and draped her arms around Katniss's neck, tracing her fingers through her hair. "Have you ever been to DC before?" Katniss shook her head. "Is there anything you want to see?"

Katniss shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I've always wanted to see the Lincoln Memorial, I guess." There was no delicate way for Katniss to say that all she wanted was to have sex with Johanna until either death or exhaustion took them both. Perhaps it was a bit too soon for that, Katniss wasn't sure.

"We can do touristy stuff," Johanna chirped brightly. "I have to be present for the vote tomorrow to make sure no one pusses out on me. But after that, I'm all yours."

Katniss lifted an eyebrow. "You want me to stay?" She hadn't actually considered that Johanna would want her to stay. When the limo showed up in the morning for her, she figured Johanna was simply too busy to come over herself. It had been nearly two weeks since they'd seen each other, communicating only by text and less than a handful of phone calls. She resented, a bit, that Johanna thought she could just 'send for her' and she would come running. The resentment couldn't last, of course, because Katniss had done exactly that.

"You really think I brought you all the way here just to fuck me?" Johanna snorted and rolled her eyes. "Give me a little credit, Everdeen. I know you have tomorrow off so I thought you'd like to stay the weekend with me."

Katniss's face scrunched. "How do you know I have tomorrow off?" She grinned conspiratorially. "Have you been spying on me, Miss Mason? Are our tax dollars being used to have someone watching me?"

"That," Johanna began, kissing the tip of Katniss's nose in a gesture that made Katniss feel like her knees were made of jelly, "is a matter of National Security and cannot be disclosed."

Katniss brought her hand around to use the pad of her thumb to wipe the bit of Johanna's ruby lipstick that she had smudged off of her cheek. "I would enjoy spending the weekend with you. I didn't pack anything, though."

Johanna shrugged dismissively. "That doesn't matter." She turned around and picked up her cell phone, swiping through it to get to her schedule. "The vote begins at two pm tomorrow. I'll be here all day corralling the votes, so I can send you out with Cinna to grab some clothes for the weekend."

"I don't think I'll need a new wardrobe just for the weekend," Katniss countered. "That seems unnecessary."

"Perhaps, but why not?" Johanna began tapping away at her phone. "I'll have Cinna pick you up around noon and get lunch, then you can shop for a bit, and I'll meet you both for dinner. The votes should be in and counted by then, and I'll sneak away before my father can try and rope me into some celebratory crap."

"Who's Cinna?"

"He's only the foremost fashion designer in the Capitol, that's all." She placed her phone back on her desk and waved her hand dismissively. "A close friend of my family. He's a really good guy, too. Not like those flaming self-absorbed fuckers that parade around in pink hot pants and think their shit doesn't stink because they have a Kardashian on speed-dial," she sneered.

"I'm not really into fashion," Katniss replied uneasily, taking a step back from Johanna.

"It'll be fun, I promise. I think you two will really hit it off." Katniss was still wary; a look that was written plainly across her face, and Johanna leaned up and kissed her soundly on the lips. "And afterward, we will go to dinner, then back to my apartment."

"Your apartment?"

Johanna nodded. "I've got a place close by since I spend a lot of time here." She paused, smirking. "What, did you think I was going to put you up in a hotel like you're some sort of highbrow escort?"

"Well, you _did_ kidnap me for sex." Katniss pressed her lips against Johanna's once more, feeling the strong thumping of her heart like she did the first time they kissed. Whether or not it was Johanna's intent, being near her made Katniss edgy with desire. "I didn't know what you were going to do with me," Katniss replied against Johanna's mouth, before Johanna closed the distance between them again with a bruising passion.

"Oh, Miss Everdeen," Johanna began, running kisses down her neck and around toward her ear. Her tongue flicked Katniss's earlobe and made her gasp. "I haven't even begun to do what I want to do to you." Katniss hoped, with all that she was, that that was a promise Johanna intended to keep.

* * *

They spent the rest of that day walking around Washington DC with no destination in mind. The nation's capital really was a beautiful place, with rolling lawns of green and giant white marble statues. Johanna took her to the George Washington monument, then to dinner at a high-rise hotel. Johanna's loft was not far from where they ate, and hand in hand they walked back toward her home.

It was a grand apartment, too; three full floors of space. A basement that Katniss didn't see but Johanna mentioned, a main floor with a dining room, a kitchen, and a vast entertainment room, and a top floor with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. There was a rustic feel to it, with olive green walls and wooden furniture, complete with a deer head mounted above the fireplace with a pair of crossed, handmade hatchets above that. Katniss recognized the crossed hatchets as the symbol of Johanna's family's timber company. Johanna had small antiques from around the world placed tastefully through the loft; Katniss even recognized one as an ancient Grecian vase. Her master bedroom was spacious, with a desk in the corner that had a laptop and a printer and even a fax machine sitting atop it, a rather large TV mounted into the wall, and a giant four-post bed in the center. That was wood, too, with intricate carvings on each of the posts and a large, luxurious fabric draped across the top.

Nearly as soon as Katniss hung her jacket on the bedroom door and kicked off her shoes, Johanna was pressed against her and taking her lips with ferocious passion. Katniss fell into her embrace and allowed Johanna to lead them both toward the bed. In that moment every cell in her body screamed for Johanna's touch, and the older girl seemed to know this, and obliged her silent desire by running her hands along every part of Katniss's body she could. Johanna's nimble fingers traced patterns all over Katniss's abdomen, her ribs, her back, and her arms. Johanna straddled Katniss's hips and pinned Katniss's wrists above her head, pressing them into the plush mattress. The raven-haired girl swooped down to bite at Katniss's pulse point and Katniss felt her hips roll against Johanna's. What delightful god made pain and pleasure so closely entwined? If Katniss knew, she would worship that god until the end of her days.

Johanna pulled away to meet Katniss's gaze, and Katniss found Johanna's eyes pooling with desire and, she hoped, a tad of affection. "You are like, crazy beautiful, you know that?" Katniss's eyes squinted in suspicion and Johanna's swollen lips curled upward. "I mean it. When I look in your eyes, I just -" Johanna clamped her lips shut, shaking her head. She propped herself up on one hand to run her fingers through her hair, then lowered back down against Katniss, filling the younger girl with warmth. She leaned down to run her tongue along Katniss's lower lip and seek entrance back into the hot cavern of Katniss's mouth. Her tongue danced along with Katniss's, curling and flicking against it as she moved her hips to grind down into Katniss's pelvis.

Over the hum of her arousal and Johanna's the little grunts, Katniss could hear the steady buzz of a phone vibrating. Johanna appeared blissfully unaware of the noise, favoring instead to use her tongue to lap at the sweat building on the side of Katniss's neck. She shimmied down to push Katniss's shirt upward, kissing from her bellybutton up toward the bottom swell of her breasts. Katniss's muscles twitched from the pleasure and tickling sensation and she could feel Johanna's little lips smirk against her skin.

The buzzing didn't cease and Johanna loudly swore in frustration and propped herself up, still astride Katniss's legs. She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and aggressively pushed on the screen. "What?" she demanded into the receiver. After a few beats she pushed off of the bed and began pacing around her bedroom. "Are you fucking kidding me? We had a deal with him! A solid fucking deal I made months ago!" Katniss stayed on her back, trying to return her shallow breaths to a normal pace. Johanna let out a long sigh and practically growled into the phone. "Fine. I will be there. Make him stay until I get there. I'm going to chop his dick off with my axe and glue it to his head like a fucking unicorn." She paused. "I have an axe!" She went silent again. "I was speaking figuratively but if you don't believe me, I'm sure I can pass security with my axe."

Johanna shoved her phone back into her pocket and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling on her boots. Katniss sat up, scooting forward so she was sitting next to Johanna. "Work?"

"Yes," she replied curtly, zipping up the side of her boot and burying her face in her hands. "I'm sorry. The nature of the beast, unfortunately." Johanna stood up and retrieved her own jacket from where she had tossed it, pulling it over her shoulders and untucking her hair. "I'll be back. I don't know how late. Watch some TV, eat something, whatever you want. You don't have to wait up."

Johanna opened the door and stalked out, her boots clicking against the hardwood with purposeful strides. Katniss heard them halt and then get louder again as Johanna stormed back into the room. She took Katniss's face in her hands and kissed her once more, in a chaste but rather forceful gesture that made Katniss breathless. Their eyes met and Katniss was unsure of what Johanna was looking for. All she said was, "Shit," and she again whirled on her heel and left the room, finally vacating the apartment with a slam of her door.

Katniss groaned and flopped against the bed, spreading her arms out. What had she gotten herself into? Pursuing Johanna reminded Katniss of something her father always said: you can't hit a shooting star with an arrow. You'll waste the arrow and even if you succeed, shooting stars belong to the sky. Some things are better, and more beautiful, from a distance. But Katniss knew she would never be satisfied with distance from Johanna. If that meant taking down a shooting star, she'd gladly be engulfed in those flames.

* * *

Katniss fell asleep alone, clad in a Yale sweatshirt of Johanna's and a pair of borrowed shorts, and woke up the next morning to the sound of a vacuum in another room. Groggily Katniss got up and combed out her hair, putting it up in a messy bun as she exited Johanna's bedroom and walked down the stairs to the living room. She stopped in her tracks when she saw a girl with bright auburn hair using a small hand vacuum to get in between the leather cushions of Johanna's plush couch.

Katniss watched the girl for a few moments, too shocked and confused to say anything or interrupt her. She looked fairly young, with sharp features, not much taller than Katniss herself. There was an apron wrapped around her waist, and she had on a pair of black shorts and a black shirt with a tiny pink logo over her breast.

Finally the girl looked up, and she was so startled by Katniss's appearance in the doorway that she dropped the hand vacuum on the wooden floors with a loud clatter. "Holy shit!" the girl squeaked. "I'm so sorry. I just - I forgot someone else was still here. Johanna left a few hours ago."

"Still?" Katniss asked, hazily looking around the room. "Johanna was here?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah she was here when I arrived this morning." She motioned to the large blanket and pillow on the couch. "She got in late and slept out here. Johanna told me there was," the girl paused and swallowed, " _company_ present. She usually tells me not to start the vacuum, but she said you needed to meet Cinna at 12, and it's already 11-"

"No, it's fine," Katniss quickly corrected, trying to find her manners. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you." Katniss squinted, still completely confused. "Wait, you work here?"

The girl laughed and picked up her vacuum, fumbling with it in her hands. "Yeah. I do Johanna's housekeeping. I do it for Senator Mason's house, too. He lives on the other side of town, but uh, it's good. Johanna's really nice." The girl stepped forward and wiped her hands on her apron and extended it toward Katniss. "I'm Finch."

"Katniss," she replied, taking the girl's hand and shaking it. "I'm sorry, I don't understand what the hell happened."

"The usual. Johanna got in at like two or three in the morning, which happens a lot. I don't know why she slept out here; I guess she didn't want to wake you. She usually gets up around five a.m., even if she doesn't have to work. Creature of habit." Katniss smiled briefly. "Anyway, I got here at nine and she said not to wake you. So I made myself busy but I thought it was getting late so I turned on the vacuum."

Katniss eyed the girl up and down. Johanna hired some barely legal teenager to clean her house? She was suddenly struck with the thought that Johanna probably used this girl for much more than cleaning. She was beautiful, this redhead, with porcelain skin and a physique similar to Katniss's own. "Right, yeah. You can't be that busy, though. Johanna isn't around much, right?"

"She hosts a lot of parties, which inevitably leaves a mess. I also do her laundry, put together her meals if she needs them." Finch shrugged her shoulders. "It pays well and it's something I can do and still attend my classes."

"Sounds like a good deal."

"It has its benefits. Johanna's very generous," she replied cryptically. The look in her eyes cleared as she met Katniss's gaze. "Do you want me to make you something for breakfast?"

Katniss shook her head. "No, thank you. You can, um, carry on." Katniss pivoted on her heel and walked back up the stairs into Johanna's bedroom, closing the door tightly behind her. She exhaled a shaky breath and retreated into the bathroom to freshen herself up. She only had the clothes she wore yesterday, so she redressed in them and sat on the edge of Johanna's mattress, swinging her legs against the foot of the bed. How many others had slept here, she wondered? How many men or women did Johanna take back to this very loft, in this very bed, and make them feel as Katniss had felt last night? But probably better, since they got to see all of Johanna, feel all of her. Was that young girl another coed Johanna had seduced? Katniss found herself getting too antsy to sit in the room any longer and she burst out of the bedroom to find the rest of the apartment empty. Finch must've left while she was getting dressed. Good. Katniss didn't want to see perhaps another of Johanna's many lovers. Especially if she was a current one.

A soft knock on the door broke her train of thought and Katniss looked toward the ponderous wooden door. She crossed the room and opened the door to reveal a slim, well-dressed man with a coif of black curls, tightly wound into a perfect Afro. His amber eyes were flecked with green; gold eyeliner on the tips of his eyelids. He was dressed in a pair of skintight leather pants, with a button-down black shirt tucked into them, under a banded collar leather jacket. His shoes shone even brighter than Finch's freshly washed floors beneath their feet.

"Katniss Everdeen?" he spoke, in a gentle voice that somehow set Katniss at ease. She nodded wordlessly. His lips moved into a smile. "I'm Cinna. It's a pleasure." They shook hands and Katniss took a step backward.

She felt awkward inviting Cinna into someone else's home, but she didn't want him to think she didn't have any manners. Though he seemed friendly, he had an air of worldliness about him that Katniss found intimidating. The same thing that intimidated her about Johanna at first meet. "Would you like to come in?"

"No, that's not necessary. We should get going if we're going to fit in everything Johanna wanted us to do between now and dinner." He bent his arm at the elbow and extended it to Katniss. "Shall we?"

Katniss smiled and took his arm, closing the door behind her. Cinna pressed a few buttons on the numerical keypad that locked Johanna's apartment and they descended the stoop together. Johanna's apartment was smack in the middle of an upscale, trendy neighborhood that Katniss assumed, by the amount of black SUVs on the street, was populated by other people with political careers.

"Johanna wanted us to go to this fancy place downtown, but I thought maybe you'd enjoy something a bit simpler?" Cinna tilted his head to the side as they walked down the sidewalk. "There's a great deli just around the block. Best sandwiches in the city."

Katniss grinned. "That sounds perfect, thank you." The deli was close, and within just a few minutes she and Cinna were sitting on stools in front of the store's window, eating their overstuffed sandwiches in a peaceful quiet. Katniss watched people go by, busy with their lives and more often than not, buried in their phones.

Cinna dabbed his face with a napkin and turned his attention to her. "So Katniss, Johanna tells me you're not from around here?"

She shook her head. "Not even close. I'm from a pretty rural town a few hours from the university. An old mining town."

"What did you do for fun there?"

Katniss chuckled a bit and shrugged. "Nothing, really. There's a Wal-Mart a few miles outside of town. My town just has the school, a general store, a rundown movie theater, and one block of shops, and a bar-slash-trading post called 'The Hob.'" Cinna chuckled. "It's pretty pathetic. But I liked to go hunting in the woods with my father for fun."

"Hunting?" Cinna repeated, raising his eyebrows. "Tell me more about that."

Katniss blushed. "Well, we don't have a lot of money, so my father taught me how to hunt. Not just for food and stuff, but also to keep me busy instead of shipping me off to summer camp, which we never could've afforded. He taught me how to set snares, how to track animals, and how to shoot my bow." Katniss picked at one of the tomatoes on her sandwich. "We never used guns to hunt. My father found it unfair to the animals, and it smacks in the face of our ancestors."

"Ah, so you're of Native American descent," he deduced with a smile. "That would explain your beautiful skin." Cinna reached forward and brushed his fingers over her forearm. Katniss was not a fan of being touched by people she barely knew, but Cinna's touch felt okay. Reassuring, even.

"On my father's side. He was the first in his family to marry outside of his race."

Cinna gave her a knowing look. "I bet that wasn't looked highly upon in a small town."

"Not at all," she murmured, looking down at her sandwich. "The people in town saw us as different, and my paternal grandparents never approved. But it was fine. Being in the meadow or in the woods with him, listening to the mockingjays and being on the hunt, it made any teasing I took bearable."

"What about your friends? Did they share your love of the woods?"

Katniss shook her head, tearing apart the napkin on the counter. "I didn't have a lot of friends. Only my one friend, Gale, would come hunting with us every so often. Mostly I kept to myself. My little sister, Primrose, she's got loads of friends." Katniss brightened a little. "She's smart and kind. Good with people. Even better with animals." Katniss snickered to herself. "That's why she never came hunting. Couldn't stomach what we'd do to the animals. One time I tried to take her hunting and she spent the rest of the day trying to nurse a rabbit we'd caught back to health."

Cinna grinned. "You love her a lot, don't you?"

"More than anything," Katniss answered honestly. "I miss her. I've been away at school for the last three years, and next year, when I graduate, she'll be going off to college."

The older man slid off his stool and motioned for them to leave. Katniss walked behind him and back out into the brisk air. She zipped her coat closed and kept pace alongside him. "Primrose and Katniss. Those are wonderful names. Earthy. Feminine."

"Katniss is a potato," Katniss remarked glumly.

"Katniss is a root vegetable," Cinna corrected with a grin. "A fierce one. They say katniss roots can survive the harshest winters, and the most blistering summers."

Katniss smiled. "My father used to say, 'As long as you can find yourself, you'll never starve.'"

Cinna tipped his head back and laughed. "Those are wise words." He held open the door of a shop for Katniss and ushered her inside. Katniss had been expecting some sort of antiseptic, white-walled upscale shop with ten things on the hangers, at exorbitant prices. Instead, they were in a shop with the smell of warm leather and wool. The walls were wood paneling and the racks had clothes on similar to what Katniss was already wearing. Even the prices, she noted, seemed reasonable.

"Look around" Cinna urged gently. "I think you'll like it here."

Maybe she did like fashion more than she thought.

* * *

Katniss's phone jangled vibrantly as she and Cinna hauled several shopping bags back to Johanna's apartment. She hung her bags on her left arm and reached for her phone with her right. "Hello?"

" _How did the shopping go with Cinna?_ " Johanna's high voice came through the line, sounding interested, but also tired.

Katniss smiled over at Cinna. "It was awesome. Cinna's awesome." Cinna made an 'oh, go on' gesture and Katniss giggled. "Are you nearly finished? We're starving."

" _Yes, I'm practically running to the car as we speak._ " Katniss heard the beeping of Johanna's car and the open and shut of her door. " _Okay. Well, I'll be back at the apartment in like twenty minutes_."

"Okay. Bye." Johanna hung up on her end and Katniss put her phone back into her pocket and waited as Cinna unlocked the door. They had done much more shopping than Katniss had intended, and Cinna refused to let her pay for anything except a quick ice cream cone they'd gotten halfway through their day. After Katniss put away the bags in Johanna's bedroom, she was surprised to see Cinna waiting by the door. "You're leaving? I thought we were all having dinner together."

"Unfortunately I'm needed back at my studio. I had a wonderful day today, Mockingjay." Katniss smiled at the nickname Cinna had bestowed upon her during their talks. He was fascinated by her stories of the mockingjays at home and their ability to repeat full songs back. Katniss was embarrassed to tell him, but something about Cinna made her trust him. "I hope we can see each other again soon."

"Me too." Cinna hugged her and gave her a kiss on both cheeks, waving as he slipped out the door. Katniss looked around the apartment before flopping on the giant leather couch and using the remote to turn on the absurdly large flat-screen television that hung on the opposite wall. She stopped on MSNBC and turned it up as she saw the face of Johanna's father on the screen.

" _Senator Mason's bill to cut pollution and introduce green jobs passed with a slim majority tonight. It is a resounding victory for the Senator, whose green initiatives were a major part of his campaign promises. Despite the liberal tone of the bill, many Republicans crossed the aisles tonight, including Representative Lyme, whose constituents will be out of jobs for nearly two years as the project moves forward. Senator Mason's Chief of Staff, his daughter, Johanna Mason, held a brief conference after the vote._ "

Katniss grinned as she saw Johanna step behind a podium, smiling at the flashing cameras and the yelling reporters. " _Back home in Washington State, we are proud to be called tree-huggers. There's no weird hippie, liberal connotation to that term. It means that we appreciate the very organisms that make life on Earth possible. As you know, in my family, we are all about trees. I learned how to wield an axe before I could toddle_." The room chuckled and Johanna pressed forward. " _And we hold dearly to the old Chinese proverb that states, 'The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time, is now.' Here in the House, Congress is notorious for never planting trees at all. They don't care about the next generation and how clean their air is. They care about elections. About big business. About who they can find to comp them a steak dinne_ r." Johanna paused for light laughter. " _But tonight we made history. Not only because this was a giant step in the country going green. Not only because it was one of the greatest bipartisan bill efforts in our nation's history. It was historical because it marked the first time any of these megalomaniacs and sycophants did anything for someone other than themselves_." She grinned at the room. " _This bill doesn't benefit anyone right now. It benefits everyone later. In a year, two years, five years, ten years. Our children, our grandchildren, will benefit from the work done by the men and women of Congress tonight. It won't be easy work; many people will lose their jobs. But this is America. We don't care about easy; we care about what's right. Thank you._ "

Reporters all clamored to ask questions but Johanna stepped off the platform and disappeared behind a navy blue curtain. A diminutive man stepped forward and began answering questions in Johanna's absence. Katniss got up off the couch and ambled into the kitchen. No doubt Johanna would be too tired to want to go out tonight. And after seeing Finch this morning, Katniss was overcome with the urge to show Johanna she was useful, too. There were a lot of ingredients in Johanna's fridge and she made some mental calculations to figure out what she could make.

Quickly she began mixing together the ingredients for a cornbread recipe her mother had passed down to her. It was quick and filling, and Katniss wanted to expose Johanna a little bit of how she grew up. Within minutes the cornbread was in the oven, and she began making an adapted version of a wilted salad. Halfway through crisping the bacon for the salad, she heard the door open and close. Johanna's groans echoed through the first floor as she shucked off her boots and peeled off her jacket. When she entered the kitchen Katniss turned to see the girl's raven hair pocked with fat white snowflakes. Her eyes closed and she tilted her head back, shaking the flakes onto the ground. "That smells amazing."

Katniss smiled and bent down to peer into the oven. The cornbread was rising steadily, but still needed some time. "Bacon always does."

Johanna leaned against the kitchen island counter and stretched her arms up toward the ceiling, banging them against the pans that hung over the island. "That was an ordeal."

"A successful ordeal," Katniss supplied. "Congratulations."

Johanna smiled. "Thank you. On the plus side, I didn't have to chop off anyone's dick." Katniss laughed, turning over the strips of bacon in the pan. "So I'm guessing you don't want to go out to dinner? Judging by the incredible aroma of food?"

Katniss smiled affectionately and sympathetically at the older girl. "You look exhausted. Why don't we stay in tonight? We have the whole weekend, or whatever parts of the weekend you have, and we can go out then."

"Really?" Johanna blinked in hopeful surprise. "I'm game if you want to go out tonight, honest." Johanna placed her hand over her mouth to stifle another yawn. "The yawning notwithstanding. I'll get a second wind. Or a third wind."

"It's really okay," Katniss assuaged in a gentle voice. "The cornbread is almost finished. You had a lot of stuff in your fridge for someone who isn't home much," Katniss noted, turning back to the stove.

Johanna shrugged and picked up an apple from the fruit bowl in the island, rubbing it on her shirt before taking a bite. "I let Finch take care of the shopping. I don't have the time so she makes sure there's food in there for me, when I need it. And if I'm going to be gone for weeks, she just takes it home to her mother. Waste not, want not."

Katniss began tossing the ingredients for the salad as the bacon crisped up, keeping her attention on her task. Johanna's mention of the girl was the perfect lead in for her to inquire about the nature of their relationship, without seeming like a crazy jealous person. "To her mother? Isn't she in college?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" Johanna sighed. "Did she wake you this morning?"

"No, no, I saw her just before she left. I didn't know you had a housekeeper. I was surprised to see she was so," Katniss paused to choose her wording carefully, "young."

Johanna munched on her apple and took a step forward, tipping up on her toes to look over Katniss's shoulder at what she was doing. "Do I detect a hint of jealousy, Miss Everdeen?" Johanna reached over her to try and snag one of the pieces of lettuce and Katniss quickly snatched her hand and whirled around, leaning into Johanna's personal space. She heard Johanna's breath hitch as their faces drew closer.

Katniss cocked her head to the side. "Do I have a reason to be jealous?" she posed, as confidently as she could.

"If you're asking if there's anything going on between Finch and I, the answer is no." Johanna grinned. "But you're really hot when you're jealous. I'll have to bring her around more often." Katniss pinched Johanna on the arm and the girl placed her apple on the counter behind Katniss. "I hired Finch's mother when I moved to DC after college. Her name is Mrs. Renard and she's a lovely older lady. Unfortunately she got sick about eight months ago. Breast cancer. She lost a lot of her clients, but Finch has been trying to recover them. I'm paying her double what I paid her mother, because she's just a kid. She's going to school, helping take her mom to chemo, and cleaning houses. It's not easy."

"No," Katniss murmured, feeling the heat of humility creeping up her neck. "That's terrible."

"My father is paying for Mrs. Renard's treatments in lieu of paying Finch directly. We've known them for years, they're like family." Katniss swallowed the lump in her throat. She felt like a fool for presuming such negative things about Johanna. Johanna searched her eyes and smiled softly. "You didn't know, it's okay. I'm sure it looked suspicious, some hot young girl cleaning my house in those short shorts she wears. And it's not as if you're entirely wrong. I know she's got a crush on me, but it's not reciprocated at all."

Katniss's nostrils flared at Johanna's admission and she looked toward the ground and their feet. "She's very pretty."

Johanna placed her hand underneath Katniss's chin and pulled her gaze up. "Hey, look, if you want a threesome I'm fucking down to clown." Katniss huffed indignantly and Johanna leaned up to kiss her. Katniss pulled away but Johanna snagged her by the hips and deepened the kiss, robbing Katniss of her breath once again. "I'm only teasing. Like I said, she's a pretty young girl but she's not my type."

"I thought you said all bisexuals were sluts. Do you even have a type? Isn't _everyone_ your type?" Katniss teased, turning around to have her back to Johanna and turn off the stove. She removed the bacon and placed them on some sheets of paper towels to drain them. Johanna pinned her against the counter, rolling her hips against Katniss's backside. Johanna's lips found the crook of her neck and she felt the heat of Johanna's tongue swirling against her skin. "Johanna," she whispered, arching backward.

"I don't have a type," she crooned into Katniss's ear. "But I do love a woman who knows her way around a kitchen," she rasped, tugging on Katniss's earlobe with her teeth. "I'll leave you to your cooking, dear," Johanna said with a smirk, kissing the side of Katniss's neck before letting her go and scurrying up the stairs. Katniss shook her head and released a shiver, dicing the bacon to plop into the salad. She removed the cornbread from the oven and set it atop the stove to cool. "You know, I could get used to this," Johanna called from the upstairs bedroom. "Little Katniss Homemaker making me dinner when I come home from work. Maybe setting me up with a nice cocktail, rubbing my feet."

Katniss laughed. "You don't even know if I can cook. Maybe I masked my inability to cook with the overpowering smell of bacon."

Johanna returned to the kitchen, now clad in a pair of capri sweat pants and a black wife beater with no bra underneath. She retrieved plates and silverware for them, setting them up to eat at the kitchen island. Johanna sat on one of the stools and waited for Katniss. "If you can cook half as well as you can kiss, I think we'll do just fine."

"I've definitely had more practice cooking, so I don't think you'll be disappointed." Katniss sliced into the bread and heaped it onto a plate.

Johanna grinned, gleaming at the meal Katniss put on the plate before her. "I don't think you could ever disappoint me, Katniss Everdeen. In cooking or in kissing."

Katniss sat down on the stool next to Johanna and dug into the meal she had prepared. She knew it was something she cooked well; Johanna would be pleased. "Are all politicians such smooth talkers? Is that something they taught you in Yale?"

"Seduction is the same no matter where you are. It's all about the right words at the right time." Johanna got up from her seat, retrieving two small chalices from a cabinet. She stood next to Katniss and poured them each a glass of a sunset yellow Chardonnay. Johanna leaned down to brush her lips against Katniss's ear. "Tell someone exactly what they want to hear, and say it in a way that they can't refuse you." She placed a kiss behind Katniss's ear before returning to her seat. "Rinse and repeat, and a few months later, I can get a bill through Congress that would've normally stalled in the House. Or," she began with a grin, "I can get a beautiful, intelligent young woman to cook me a delicious dinner."

Katniss clenched her jaw, attempting to cool the intense desire that began to pump through her. It was no wonder Johanna was so successful as a political player; she could reduce Katniss to a pile of hormones just with a few words whispered in her ear. "How's the food?" she asked, her voice just a touch too high.

Johanna rolled her eyes back in pleasure. "Fucking fantastic. Really, Katniss. This is one of the best things I've ever eaten." Johanna threw her a wink. "So far tonight." Johanna let out a loud yawn to which Katniss responded with an even louder laugh. The girl's lips drew into a pout. "I'm not tired, honest!"

"Sure you're not," Katniss condescended, giving Johanna a pat on her hand. Johanna's brown eyes narrowed in mock anger and Katniss rubbed the tops of her knuckles. "It's okay. The snow is starting to come down pretty hard anyway. We'll stay in and keep each other warm."

Johanna drew her hand back and placed it dramatically on her chest. "Are you asking me to cuddle, Miss Everdeen?" Johanna quirked her eyebrow. "I'm not exactly a cuddler."

Katniss took a long sip from her wine and swirled it around in her glass. "Considering how exhausted you look, I don't think you'll take too much convincing."

Johanna scoffed. "We'll see about that."

* * *

Katniss stared down at Johanna, who was curled in the fetal position into Katniss's body, sound asleep and snoring softly on the bed. Katniss tucked her underneath one of Johanna's large blankets, gently running her fingers through Johanna's hair and scratching at her scalp. _Not much of a cuddler my ass_ , Katniss mused to herself with a grin. Within less than a half an hour of watching television, Johanna was fast asleep by her side. It caused a swell of pride in Katniss's chest to see how comfortable Johanna looked in her arms.

If Johanna could "get used to" Katniss making her dinners every night, Katniss could get used to the older girl falling asleep next to her. It was both thrilling and frightening to feel how fast and how large her feelings for Johanna were growing. She wished, on any shooting star that may pass, that Johanna's feelings for her were growing as well.

* * *

Author's note: Thanks for the great and positive response to this story. Your kind reviews and favorites/follows are very much appreciated!

Thanks to Johannas-Motivational-Insults for her beta read, as always.


	4. Chapter 4

_Thump. Thump. Thump-thump. Thump._

Katniss sat up abruptly in the bed, her fists tugging at the thick sheets below her. Her chest heaved hard and her eyes narrowed as she oriented herself within her surroundings. A bed. A large bed. A large bed with a headboard that had suspicious markings around each of the poles that supported it. She smiled as she inhaled through her nose and smelled the now familiar scent. Johanna. Pine and leather, and the faint smell of sulfur from firewood. Johanna's downstairs fireplace was directly connected to her bedroom one, which was still crackling at a low flame.

As Finch had predicted, Johanna was an early riser, because she was nowhere to be found as Katniss groggily scouted the room for the other girl. Katniss eyed the clock on the dresser to see, with despondence, the green digits displaying 6:08AM. The noises that had awoken her from her slumber continued from one of the floors below the bedroom. It wasn't even so much a noise as a thumping vibration in the walls. Katniss followed the noises down the first flight of stairs, but found the first floor deserted and dark, except for the dim glow of Johanna's fireplace in her small den. Katniss turned the handle of the door to the basement level and was nearly bowled over by the loud pounding of deep bass and a blaring trumpet that hit her in the face.

She followed the noise down the stairs until she got to the base of the steps and found Johanna. The basement was a lot larger than Katniss had imagined. One side was completely finished, with a series of overstuffed leather chairs facing a large projection screen like a tiny movie theater. The other side was unfinished, dark cement with a smattering of exercise equipment across blue mats. Johanna, however, was on a small mat, twirling a long-handled axe up around her head, then downward in front of her as if she were splitting an invisible log. The mat didn't break or tear beneath the force of her thrust; it absorbed the impact with the noise.

Katniss watched Johanna for a while as she continued that action, over and over again; to some particularly heavy hip hop blaring from unseen speakers. She was slicked with sweat from head to toe. Her black hair was pulled back; leaving just her short bangs sticking to her head. Both of her arms were taut with tension as she grunted with effort, swinging the axe around with practiced movements. She slammed it into the mat below her and looked up, finally meeting Katniss's gaze. Katniss knew her jaw was open and she made no attempt to hide it.

Johanna cocked her eyebrow and smirked. "Wanna play?" she mouthed over the sound of the music. She gave Katniss a wink as she plucked her axe from the mat and placed it on the wall, where Katniss only then noticed a few more black axes that hung on hooks there. Johanna wiped sweat from her forehead and picked up a small remote and pressed one button, prompting the music to cease. "Did I wake you?"

"Sort of," Katniss replied. "It was quiet enough, though. Is it soundproofed down here?"

Johanna nodded. "Yeah. I've had one too many neighbor's complaints about my music or my exercising, so," she shrugged, "came to a compromise. The whole place is soundproofed, actually. Including the bedroom," Johanna drawled with a wink. Katniss chewed on her bottom lip, raking her eyes over Johanna's form. Her lithe body was contained in a black tank top that hugged her sides, and a pair of skintight polyester capri pants. Every inch of her skin was sweaty and glistening under the recessed lights in the ceiling above her. Katniss felt herself sway a bit back and forth. "You all right?"

Katniss shook herself from her stupor. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure, Katniss Everdeen?" Johanna came toward her, almost stalking her, and then braced her forearm next to them, canting her head to the side. Her eyes then traversed Katniss's body, from her bare feet, up her legs, her torso, then directly into her eyes. Katniss felt the immediate stirring low in her abdomen under Johanna's intense stare. "Are you sure you're all right?" Katniss was certain Johanna had purposefully lowered the timbre of her voice.

Katniss felt her heart speed up to twice its normal pace as she drew her eyes up to meet Johanna's piercing gaze. Johanna's chest was heaving with the exertion of her exercise, her face and body flushed pink. "How are you - how do you do this so early?"

"Do what?" Johanna questioned with an innocent tone, but a wide smirk. "Exercise?"

"Make me feel like this," Katniss respired, drawing closer to Johanna. She could feel the heat radiating off of Johanna and found the warmth, combined with the general musk of a post-workout Johanna, particularly affecting. "Stop looking at me like that," Katniss whispered, looking away bashfully. "I just woke up, and I - I haven't brushed my teeth yet."

Johanna chortled. "Like I care." As Johanna leaned in to kiss her, the vibration of her cell phone on a table behind her made Johanna screw her eyes shut and grunt in frustration. "Saved by the bell," she purred, pushing off the wall and walking backward to retrieve her cell phone. Johanna wrapped a towel around her neck and began wiping off her sweat as she picked up her phone. "Mason." Johanna paced to the other side of the room and ran her fingers along the shiny edges of one of her axes. "Hey babe." Katniss froze and sobered up. "We've got the court at 11:30, just before lunch. Then lunch at the club." Johanna smiled slyly, running her tongue over the tops of her teeth. "You know I got you, girl. Yeah. All right. See you then."

Katniss attempted to gaze around the room casually but she knew she was failing miserably. Instead she turned on her heel and began up the stairs. "I'm gonna shower," she called in a garbled voice and took off up the staircase. She heard Johanna's voice calling from behind her but once the door closed, the sound was completely gone. Katniss flew up the second flight of stairs to Johanna's bathroom. The master bathroom had two sinks that came out of the wall, embedded in a counter that was the same deep cedar color as Johanna's eyes. There was a freestanding claw foot tub on one side, a small room with a toilet, and a large walk-in glass shower. Like everywhere else in the apartment, most of the furniture was wooden, even the walls of the shower itself. Some sort of treated wood, or possibly fake, that repelled water. Katniss also observed a small, triangular built-in seat in the corner and a built in shelving unit with various shampoos, soaps, and body washes as she turned on the faucets. There were two showerheads, one on each side of the walls that rained down on her in the center of the shower.

Katniss stood under the spray of the water after undressing, pressing her palms against the warm wood and bracing her weight there. She had no right to the jealousy inside her. It wasn't as if she and Johanna were something official. They weren't. They hooked up a few times, and she was here in Johanna's apartment, but who else had been? Plenty of other women, and men, Katniss was sure. Her political parties and rallies and late night meetings at the Capitol; all great places to meet attractive, rich, politically connected men and women. People who were more her speed, not some backwoods hunter-slash-college student who didn't know the first thing about the inner workings of the government.

What an easy set up for Johanna, Katniss thought acerbically. Call Katniss whenever she wanted to get laid, and when Johanna tired of her she could just go home. Then she could bring around her cool friends and have her cocktail parties, and bang models or do whatever it is privileged, rich kids do, even into adulthood. Katniss bathed as quickly as she could, careful to avoid the scents that were Johanna's. She didn't want to smell like her; she much preferred to smell the scent of Johanna's skin directly.

Angrily Katniss turned off the spray and stepped out of the shower, watching the steam get sucked up into an air vent above her head. She wrapped a basil-colored towel around herself, tucking it in underneath her armpits. Katniss stared at herself in the mirror, scrutinizing her own appearance callously. She was just a plain girl from the poor side of the tracks; she couldn't compete with the kind of people Johanna knew. The fact that Katniss thought otherwise made her feel hopelessly naive. Johanna had been groomed since birth to be convincing and manipulative, but Katniss held onto a small hope that perhaps she wasn't just another deal Johanna was pulling.

The aforementioned girl opened the door to the bathroom, peeking inside. "There you are," she said brightly, swinging the door open and letting herself in. Katniss stepped away from the mirror, raising an eyebrow at Johanna's intrusion. Johanna stepped to the side and hoisted herself up on her bathroom sink. "I was thinking of taking you somewhere fun for breakfast."

"Fun?" Katniss repeated, snagging a comb from the counter and running it through her hair. Johanna slid off the edge of the counter and sauntered behind her, snatching the comb from her hand. Johanna began combing her hair for her, watching her reaction in the mirror. "What kind of fun?"

Johanna grinned suggestively in the mirror, tracing her fingers down Katniss's scalp. "Good fun, I promise." Johanna brushed hair over her left shoulder, pressing her lips against the crook of Katniss's neck. The shorter girl craned upward and ran her lips along the column of Katniss's neck to the rounded shell of her earlobe. "Have I let you down so far, Katniss Everdeen?" Katniss flicked her eyes to the mirror where Johanna's big, lustful brown hues reflected back at her. So far, no, Johanna had not let her down. It didn't stop the churning of jealousy that started in the pit of Katniss's stomach and spread upward to her heart at whoever was on the other line of that phone call. "You smell so good," Johanna murmured against her pulse, nuzzling into her hair. "And I smell like a men's locker room."

She scrunched her nose and backed away from Katniss, padding over to the shower. She turned it on and began stripping out of her clothes. Katniss knew that politely, she should divert her attention and give Johanna some privacy, but she found she couldn't. If she wanted privacy, she would've asked, Katniss reasoned with herself. Johanna peeled her tank top off and tossed it haphazardly into a wicker bin next to the shower. She shimmied out of her skintight pants and peeled off her underwear, lobbing them in the same pile. Johanna gingerly stepped into the shower, closing the glass door. The older girl was completely visible through the glass, shaking her head to spray water along the sides of the shower.

"Been in a lot of men's locker rooms?" Katniss inquired, crossing her arms over her chest and smirking.

Johanna chuckled and squirted some shampoo into her palms. "Wouldn't you like to know?" Johanna wiggled her eyebrows and returned her attention to lathering her hair with soap. "There's a bunch of new toothbrushes under the sink, since you were so concerned about your morning breath earlier and denied me a kiss," Johanna called over the sound of the water splashing on the tiles. Katniss didn't stop to wonder why Johanna would have a surplus of unopened toothbrushes. "And for breakfast, wear something... uh, business casual?" Katniss gulped as Johanna soaped up her loofah and began scrubbing it all over her body. Katniss had never before been jealous of an inanimate object, but that loofah was the subject of her ire at the moment.

"Where are you taking me?" Katniss asked, rummaging under the sink for the new toothbrush and trying desperately not to think about how wet and naked Johanna was just a few feet to her left.

"And ruin the surprise?" Johanna countered. "No way, young lady."

Katniss brushed her teeth with the green toothbrush she found beneath the sink and wiped her mouth. After placing the toothbrush on the counter - a not-so-subtle move to claim a space there and prove something to Finch - she looked over into the shower to see Johanna crafting a rather large bubble beard. Katniss cleared her throat and the older girl looked over at her, not a trace of shame in her expression. "What, uh, what are ya doin' in there?"

"Don't I look like my granddad like this?" The beard hung just below her neck, and she sculpted thick, white, bubbly muttonchops on the sides of her face. It was, in fact, the same facial hair her grandfather possessed. But a look down the rest of Johanna's body - her small, pert breasts, her taut abdomen, the small patch of dark black curls between her thighs, and her toned, long legs, well. That was nothing like her grandfather.

Katniss caught Johanna's eyes as she dragged them back up and shook her head. "No," she cracked, her voice uneven. She cleared her throat once more. "Not exactly."

Johanna cocked an eyebrow and skimmed her bubble beard off of her face. "If you hadn't rushed upstairs we could've done this together, you know. Why else would I have double showerheads?"

The image of running her hands along Johanna's soaped-up, slick body trucked into her consciousness and caused her to stare at Johanna with a blank expression, except for the heat in her eyes. Katniss tried to shake her head like her brain was an etch-a-sketch to get that image out of her mind.

"Right. I'm going to get dressed," Katniss informed her, turning on her bare heel and padding out of the bathroom and into Johanna's master bedroom. There was no reason to get bent out of shape. Who even knew who was on the other end of that phone? Maybe Johanna called people 'babe' all the time. There was nothing supporting her theory it was a lover of Johanna's other than her own insecurity. Katniss's phone jangled and she scrambled around Johanna's ridiculously spacious bed to retrieve it. "Hey Madge."

"Hey Kat," Madge chirped brightly on the other side of the line. " _Guess whose dad needed to go to some senator's house so she's stuck in DC for the weekend with nothing to do?_ "

"The only person I know with a father in government, current company notwithstanding? You?" Katniss guessed with an eye roll. "That's great, though." If Madge was good for anything, she was a wonderful sounding board at which Katniss could toss her insecurities.

" _Will you even have time to see me?_ " Madge inquired, her voice light and teasing. " _Or are you too busy with you-know-who?_ " she sing-songed with an exaggerated amount of salaciousness in her tone.

Katniss chuckled as she draped her towel on Johanna's closet door and rummaged through her bags for some clothes. She tucked the phone between her cheek and shoulder and shimmied her underwear over her hips. She snatched a new lacy bra Cinna had picked out - in a move that made Katniss turn fifty shades of red in the boutique - and pulled the straps over her shoulders. In Cinna's defense, a quick look into Johanna's boudoir revealed that it did look as good as Cinna said it would. "I'll find time. She works a lot anyway, and I think she has plans for lunch. She -"

"Katniss?" Johanna called from the other room as the shower turned off. "Hey, if you want to, I'm meeting a friend at the country club, then we're having lunch. Do you play tennis?"

"Hold on, Madge," Katniss hushed into the phone. She placed her hand over the receiving microphone. "I don't play tennis but I would come, if you don't mind."

"Mind?" Johanna asked as she rounded the corner and entered her bedroom again. The shorter girl stopped dead in her tracks, eyes widening and her little mouth slipping open. "Why would I mind?" Johanna breathed, finishing a thought Katniss could clearly see Johanna was no longer thinking. Katniss was puzzled, briefly, until she realized she was standing in Johanna's bedroom in only her bra and panties. Johanna blinked a few times in rapid succession as Katniss bit her lip to quell the smirk desperately trying to crawl across her face. Finally Johanna saw the phone in her hand. "I'm sorry, you're on the phone. Go ahead. Do you want some privacy?"

"It's okay, it's just my friend Madge. She's here from school for the weekend," Katniss explained hastily, trying to keep herself focused, as Johanna was only wearing her robe that definitely looked like it might hit the floor any moment. Typically, Johanna apparently could only be bothered to rather carelessly and loosely tie the belt in the middle, leaving much of her midsection exposed except for her breasts. If it didn't fall off on its own accord, Katniss was going to help it along.

Johanna smiled. "Invite her, too. Tell her to text you where she's staying and we'll pick her up on the way to the club." Johanna took a few steps forward. "She's the one who set you up with Finnick, right?" Katniss bobbed her head and the other girl grinned. "Then at the very least, I owe her a lunch for that horrible decision that led to my meeting you."

Katniss blushed as she put the phone to her ear, her eyes never leaving the seductive gaze of the older girl. "Madge?"

" _I heard and I'm so game. I'll text you the address of my hotel. Just give me the time._ " Katniss didn't answer because Johanna's eyes were so attuned to her own she could scarcely breathe. " _Earth to Katniss?_ " Madge sighed on the other line. " _You are so hopeless. Goodbye, Katniss_."

Katniss let the phone slip out of her hand and fall to the bed, watching closely as Johanna narrowed the gap between them. She had never seen someone look so blatantly ...hungry before, for something other than food. It was almost frustrating because she had just changed, and here Johanna was with her half-nakedness and her bedroom eyes, making the throb between her legs unbearable, and nearly ruining her new underwear. "Christ's sake, Katniss. You could make a sinner change her ways," Johanna confessed in a low tone. Her eyes flicked away for a moment. "You just might." Her tongue darted out to swipe along both her lips as she got close enough to Katniss that the younger girl could feel the heat through her terrycloth robe. Relentless brown eyes returned to Katniss's gray ones. "I want to devour you."

An overwhelming feeling of lightheadedness hit Katniss full force. "What time is breakfast?" Katniss managed to rasp out as little droplets of water from the tips of Johanna's hair splashed against her feet. She didn't notice. The only thing she could think about was the tiny bit of shared air between their lips.

"Too soon," Johanna whispered mournfully. "Not enough time for me to do even half the things I want to do to you," she purred, placing her hand on Katniss's hip. Johanna leant up and closed the distance between them, seizing Katniss's lips in a tender, but near desperate kiss. Tragically, Katniss's mind was wiped blank of any of the doubts she had earlier about Johanna's intentions. It seemed, where Johanna was concerned, she had a blind spot a mile wide, especially when on the receiving end of her kisses.

* * *

Katniss was pretty certain her mouth had not stopped hanging open in shock since they arrived outside the doors of their breakfast spot about half an hour earlier. Johanna's promise of "fun" was not at all what Katniss had imagined. Upon arriving at the Capitol, they were hurriedly escorted to a place Katniss had only seen on television and in films. A place of such storied importance, she wasn't sure she would have enough time to process it. But there she was, sitting on a couch across from Johanna, inside the Oval Office. Much of it was the same as it had always been, but there were touches of Johanna's grandfather everywhere. The faint smell of cigar smoke, the couches - normally some sort of beige plush - was forest green and built from exposed, reclaimed wood. Mason family spirit was everywhere.

The breakfast was served by a team of people, all of whom Johanna addressed by name, in a tone that was both formal and friendly. Smooth politician's talk. Johanna rattled off information about the room whilst they ate, entertaining an amused, and frankly rather overwhelmed, Katniss.

"When I was like six or seven - my dad was just a Rep then - we were invited to the White House for some ridiculous dinner. I don't know what the occasion was, all I know is that no one in this building was prepared for five Mason kids running roughshod all over this house." Johanna's lips took on a wistful grin. "We figured out how to get on the roof, and we snuck into the bowling alley. The Secret Service really hated that. But most of all, they hated when we played hide and seek."

"That's not so bad," Katniss replied, placing her plate down on the coffee table between them. A coffee table people like Madeleine Albright and Eleanor Roosevelt might have sat at and had tea. Not at the same time, but, at some point. "Isn't there that story of Teddy Roosevelt's kids soaping up the hallways and sliding around?"

Johanna nodded. "All true. But you don't play hide and seek with Secret Service around." The small smile on Johanna's face grew exponentially larger. "I hid for six hours."

Katniss's eyes bulged. "Six hours? Oh my god, Johanna," Katniss laughed, leaning back into the couch. "How? Where?"

"A lifetime of knowing how to hide from four older brothers, and right here in this office." Katniss gave a cursory look around. There seemed to be no place inside the room that someone could hide, and for good reason. Johanna got up from her seat and rounded the President's desk. "I hid underneath this desk for six hours. Because goddamn Nate told me we could hide anywhere and I didn't want to lose. But what he didn't tell me, was that the Oval Office was off limits." Johanna shot Katniss a sour look. "My dad kicked my ass that night. I was grounded for six months. Which meant pretty little to me, since we were all away at boarding school for most of the year." Johanna pulled the big chair out from the desk and plopped herself in it, propping her heels up on the desk. "Worth it, though. I won hide and seek and got ten bucks from each of my brothers."

Katniss rose from the couch and walked around the room, inspecting the picture frames and various items throughout the room. President Snow's Oval Office had an almost antiseptic look to it; all the white vases were adorned with white roses. President Mason let his wife do the decorating, and everything looked homey and pleasant. "So you don't like to lose?" Katniss ventured. "Color me surprised."

"No, Miss Everdeen, I don't. And I never do. Even when people think that I've lost," Johanna began, placing both her feet on the ground and clasping her hands on the desk, "I haven't."

Katniss snorted and sauntered over to the large, imposing desk. She tried not to think about the series of men who'd sat that that desk, making incredibly historic decisions. Instead she thought about the woman currently behind it, and how infuriatingly sexy her confidence was. "You look comfortable behind that desk. Don't let your father see you," Katniss teased, leaning her butt against the edge of the desk, tracing her fingers along the waxed corners.

Johanna's eyes dragged up the length of Katniss's body and settled on her eyes, brown hues turning into little slits. "I am comfortable with power, Katniss Everdeen. Would you like a demonstration?" The lingering leer Johanna gave Katniss made her stomach burble with both excitement and fear. "Wouldn't be the first time someone got lucky in this office."

"Gross."

The seated woman shrugged. "Men are gross from dust to dust," Johanna bemoaned with an eye roll. "Trust me. You're lucky you only have a sister. Brothers are the worst."

Speaking of, Katniss's eyes flitted to the wall where a very large photo caught her eye. She walked around the back of the Presidential chair and stood in front of the photo, eyes narrowed. It was clearly a large family photo of the Masons taken at some kind of picnic. Johanna was easy to spot - being one of only about four females in the photo - but the rest of them weren't as easy. Slowly, Katniss picked out Johanna's brothers: Nate was easiest, as he had spiked up hair with frosted blonde tips that contrasted horribly with his jet black hair, at least at this point in what Katniss surmised was his early twenties. Johanna's oldest brother, RJ, stood stone-faced in the back of the photo. He had a scraggly beard but a young face, even though he didn't even attempt to smile. Johanna's other two brothers, Blight and August, were tipping back drinks into their mouths, obscuring their faces. Johanna's mother stood out most of all against the sea of jet black Masons with her bright blonde hair and expressionless face.

"The seed is strong," Katniss murmured to the photo, glancing over it to look at the other members of Johanna's family. The President was front and center, beaming proudly.

"What's that?" Johanna inquired, the floor creaking beneath her feet as she crossed to stand behind Katniss. She peered over Katniss's shoulder to eye the photo. "Oh, right. Family reunion about ten years ago, before my grandfather was President." Johanna placed a gentle kiss in the crook of Katniss's neck and the younger girl shivered. "What did you say? Something about seeds?"

Katniss chuckled and turned into Johanna's space. The older girl immediately wrapped her hands around Katniss's waist and pulled them closer. "From Game of Thrones?" Johanna shook her head. "Before he dies, the Hand of the King says, 'The seed is strong.' He's referring to the fact that all the King's bastards have coal-black hair," Katniss explained, running her fingers through Johanna's coal-black mane, "but none of his 'real children' do. Insinuating the Queen was fucking around."

"Was she?" Johanna asked, cocking her head to the side.

Katniss nodded solemnly. "With her twin brother."

Johanna looked appropriately horrified. "Well that's repulsive." Katniss shrugged noncommittally and Johanna smirked and shook her head. "Here I am thinking you're some innocent little thing and you're watching shows that involve incestuous extra-marital affairs." Johanna tipped upward and kissed Katniss. "I like that you surprise me, Katniss Everdeen."

Katniss wrapped her arm around Johanna's back and pulled their bodies flush, deepening their chaste kiss with ardent purpose. Johanna let out a little hum of surprise into her mouth that quickly devolved into a quiet groan. The taller girl cupped Johanna's face with her free hand, swirling her tongue in a delicate dance with Johanna's, tasting the cinnamon and apple of the tart they had shared. Johanna's hand shot forward and she braced her palm and weight against the wall, wedging Katniss between her body and the hard surface.

The slow pound of footsteps interrupted them and Johanna flew several feet back from Katniss, smoothing the corners of her mouth as if some of Katniss's kiss was still lingering there. Casually, Johanna poised herself on the edge of the President's desk as a tall, statuesque black man and - Katniss gulped - the President entered the room from a door made out of the wall itself.

"Johanna," the President greeted with a warm smile. The President smelled like cologne and oak wood, not unlike Johanna's soft scent of pine and vanilla. The older man pulled Johanna from the desk and wrapped the young girl in his arms. Johanna returned the hug with a grin. The other man stood silently beside them. "Not hiding under the desk again, I hope."

Johanna blushed lightly and shook her head. "No, sir," she replied with an unexpected amount of deference. "I did sit at it though. Suits me," she replied with a wink.

The older man guffawed and nodded his head. "So it does. My son will be glad to hear it." Katniss ducked her gaze to the ground as none of the three of them acknowledged her presence. The President suddenly looked her way and his brown eyes widened. "My my, a young visitor. Johanna told me she was bringing a guest with her," he explained, turning to face Katniss completely. "She failed to mention how lovely you are." He extended his hand. "Roger Mason," he introduced with a distinct lack of grandeur. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Katniss Everdeen."

Katniss's gray eyes widened and she looked to Johanna for explanation. "Likewise, Mr. President. Thank you for letting me have breakfast here." And have my way with your granddaughter. "This was ...more than I could have imagined."

Roger Mason gave a look around and nodded his head. "It is quite a room, isn't it? So much history within these walls. I am humbled to be a part of it." He took a step back and swept open his arm. "This is my Chief of Staff, Boggs. Boggs, this is Katniss Everdeen." The slim, muscular man took a step forward and extended his arm, shaking Katniss's briefly. "And you remember my granddaughter, Johanna."

Boggs looked to Johanna, a queer emotion in his eyes. Johanna, for her part, gave away no expression at all. "Of course he remembers me," Johanna drawled, pushing herself off the desk to give Boggs a rather intimate pat on the bicep. "Lest you forget, sir, that I was the one who wrangled Boggs away from Senator Coin."

"You have an impeccable eye for talent," the President replied with a firm nod. Johanna and Boggs exchanged a look. "If you'll excuse me, the aforementioned Senator Coin has asked for an audience with me in her office." Johanna's eyebrows rose to her hairline. "I know, I don't like trudging down there but I don't want her to get too comfortable in my office." His eyes twinkled. "Once they sit in the chair, you can hardly get them out." He reached up a hand to stroke his full, bushy beard before turning to Katniss. "Stay as long as you'd like, Miss Everdeen."

"Thank you, Mr. President," Katniss replied quietly. They exchanged small smiles as he moved to leave the room. He gave Johanna a pat on the shoulder as he walked out, leaving the two girls alone with Boggs. The room seemed unnecessarily thick with tension all of a sudden, with Boggs and Johanna continuing their awkward stare-down. Katniss cleared her throat.

Johanna snapped out of her trance and looked to Katniss, giving her a smile. "What do you say you and me go on a little tour of DC before I get changed for the game?"

"Game?" Boggs questioned, clasping his hands behind his back. "Back into tennis?"

Johanna nodded. "Cress wants the scoop on Rep. Lyme's supposed suggestion for the Sec of Defense position." Boggs gave her a knowing nod and smirked. "I'm only going to tell her what I know, which is pretty little."

"Other than her name on the President's desk was all your doing," he teased in a droll tone.

Johanna wiped her face of expression and puckered her lips. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, sir." The faux innocence in her voice and posture made Boggs straighten up and cleared the levity from his face. Johanna held out a crooked elbow toward Katniss. "Miss Everdeen?"

Katniss took the proffered arm and eyed the man. "Nice meeting you," she said evenly.

"You too," he replied quickly, watching them as Johanna escorted Katniss to the exit. "You watch out for that one," Boggs called after them. Katniss peered at him over her shoulder. "She's something else." The younger girl looked to Johanna to gauge her reaction and saw the older girl rolling her eyes at Boggs.

"Yeah, nice seeing you too, Boggs," Johanna called sarcastically over her shoulder as she ushered Katniss out the door.

* * *

Once they were well outside and on their way toward the Lincoln Memorial, Katniss turned to the unusually quiet Johanna. "What did he mean, to 'watch out for you?'" she asked in the most innocent voice she could muster. Something about their exchange had left Katniss with an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

Johanna shrugged her shoulders. "Boggs thinks he knows everything about everyone. And he does, that's his job." Johanna glanced at Katniss, eyes narrowed. "He has a particularly annoying habit of being right a lot. He's very passive-aggressive about it." Johanna expelled a sigh and brushed some hair from her face. "But he's a really fucking good chief of staff. Very loyal. Better than me, if you can believe that."

Katniss mused on that for a block or two, only to drudge the subject up once more. "How did you get him away from Senator Coin? Was it part of your blackmail against her?" Katniss didn't voice the loudest idea in her brain: Johanna seduced him away. It would explain their odd behavior in the office, and why Johanna was being uncharacteristically evasive now.

Johanna looked at her uneasily. "Not exactly," she deflected.

Katniss waited for her to elaborate, but nothing was forthcoming. So, she prodded, "Then how? If he's so loyal, how did you sway him?"

"Other than promising him the cushiest and most powerful position in government, outside of being a politician?" Johanna smirked. "I told you, power is attractive. It doesn't take much to convince a man of his worth. It's all part of the seduction. What man doesn't like to have his ego stroked?" Johanna scoffed, "Among other things. Took about six months, but by the end I had wrapped him up and served on a platter to my grandfather."

The uneasy feeling didn't leave Katniss's stomach, but she let the issue drop. They were rapidly approaching the Lincoln Memorial, which on a cold, cloudy day in winter wasn't nearly as crowded as Katniss assumed it would be. They crossed the great lawn to get closer to the memorial, the large, imposing statue casting a shadow over the two girls as they approached it. President Abraham Lincoln, humungous and cast in marble, sitting atop his chair. Katniss had always admired his great humor and steady hand of justice, even in the face of great adversity.

"Nearly all men can stand adversity," Johanna quoted, her hand trailing from where she had draped it around Katniss's back to instead hold her hand, "but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

Katniss paused thoughtfully upon that quote. Johanna's life was rife with the giving and receiving of power. All she did, all day, was manipulate people and legislation to throw power behind a person or an idea. But none of it, other than the tone she took with subordinates, seemed put on. Johanna seemed very comfortable with the armor of power she wore, like it was deeply embedded in her DNA. Considering the family photo in the Oval Office was a host of powerful men and women, it essentially was. However, she didn't want Johanna's armor, she wanted what was underneath. She wasn't sure she'd ever get to it, or if Johanna would let her.

Katniss dragged her eyes away from the statue, noticing a group of girls gawking at them. Johanna paid them no mind until finally, one of them mustered up the courage to approach her. "Excuse me," she chirped, "are you Johanna Mason?"

Johanna looked over at her. "Depends on who's asking," she replied drolly. Two suited men that Katniss hadn't noticed their entire walk drew incrementally closer to Johanna. Secret Service, Katniss deduced, from their nearly unnoticeable earpieces, suits, and cropped haircuts.

"We're huge fans," the girl gushed, waving her friends over. The other three girls skittered forward all together like a brood of hens. "I did a term paper on the anti-bulling legislation that you helped write and pass." Johanna smiled broadly at that. "What you've done for the LGBT community is really fantastic."

"Thank you," Johanna replied. In her normal voice, Katniss noticed. "That means a lot to me."

"Do you mind if we take a picture?" A second little hen asked from behind the first hen. "Like a group selfie?"

Johanna grinned. "Of course." Without asking, one of the girls handed a rather large digital camera to Katniss.

Katniss hid the insult she felt and quickly figured out how to operate the camera as the girls all crowded around Johanna. The young blonde next to her threw her arm around Johanna's neck and pulled her in closely. Katniss gripped the camera tightly in her hands, wondering if there was any way Johanna could get her out of jail if she smashed the camera over the girl's head. And she nearly did, as after she readied them to pose for the photo, just as she hit the shutter, the girl yanked Johanna closer and smooched her on the cheek.

Johanna extricated herself from the group uncomfortably, signing a few pamphlets for them as Katniss handed the camera back to the perpetrator. She ignored the girl's thank you and went to walk toward Johanna, but she was now enveloped in a small crowd. Tourists, young and old, circled around her to ask for photos and autographs, like she was a political rock star. The Secret Service men made themselves more apparent and kept the people at an arm's length from Johanna, which made Katniss marginally more relaxed. Once Johanna had smiled and shook hands with nearly everyone, she finally turned around to face Katniss. The mirth she had fabricated for her "fans" was completely gone from her face. In its place was annoyance, and guilt.

"I'm really sorry about that," Johanna expressed, closing the gap between them and taking Katniss by the hand. She led her around the side of the memorial, the two Secret Service men hanging about fifteen paces behind them.

"That one girl _kissed_ you," Katniss blurted out, bitterness and shock coloring her words.

Johanna sighed. "I know. People think that because you're in the public eye, they sort of own a piece of you. You're a commodity. You start letting that happen, soon enough, you don't have any pieces left. But what can I do? Public perception is a large part of what makes me, and my family, so successful. I can't be the bitch I want to be. I always have to be someone I'm not. And you turn into that person so often, it becomes a part of you, like a second skin." Katniss entwined their fingers and gave Johanna's hand a tight squeeze. Katniss wanted, selfishly, to keep all the pieces of Johanna for herself. She wanted to deconstruct this powerful, complex woman to get to the girl beneath. She'd seen glimpses of her, especially on their dates. Johanna was a little more herself when Katniss could kiss her. She was very glad to keep trying that experiment to see if she could unveil Johanna entirely.

* * *

Johanna was called away for a meeting after their tour of the memorial, so she instructed Katniss that the Secret Service would escort her and Madge to the country club, and she'd meet them there. After detouring back to the apartment to change into something more casual, Katniss arrived in the unmarked black SUV outside Madge's hotel. Madge bounded out, directly into the waiting vehicle. She leaned over to hug Katniss tightly, then settled into her seat and buckled her seat belt.

"This is pretty neat," she said, looking out the blackened windows. "Secret Service. Cool country clubs. Eating lunch with Johanna Mason. It's like a different life."

"I know," Katniss replied, bringing one of her nails to her mouth to nibble on the edge of it nervously. Madge automatically brought her hand to Katniss's, forcing it out of her mouth and dropping it into her lap. Katniss flushed. "Sorry."

"Why are you nervous?" Madge asked, leapfrogging Katniss's apology with the practiced ease of a good friend. She turned and leveled her blue eyes at Katniss.

Katniss sighed, giving a look to the driver and the other guard in the front seats. It's not like they were listening anyway, and even if they were, they couldn't really pass judgment. Surely they wouldn't say anything to Johanna. "I think I'm in over my head."

Madge furrowed her brow, her light blonde eyebrows nearly touching she was frowning so hard. Katniss found it amusing. She had always found Madge amusing in the few years they'd known each other. They had slipped into an easy friendship after being assigned a dorm together, one free of obligation, but somehow, still very deep. Neither of them dated much, in spite of Madge's attempt at being a matchmaker, which made their relationship free of any tension. They studied quietly, they went out together socially on occasion, and they understood each other.

"Over your head in what sense? Like, because Johanna's a woman? Are you worried about the sex?" Madge queried, either having forgotten about the two men sitting in the front of the car, or not caring. Katniss figured it was the latter.

"No, that's -" Katniss blushed. "That hasn't been an issue." Her mind flashed back to Johanna making her come in the front seat of her car, and of her fucking Johanna breathless on the top of her desk. The only times they'd been intimate. Brief, and clothed, and all together not the experience Katniss was longing for. And definitely not her issue. "I mean, all of this," Katniss explained, sweeping her hand out to include the car, the men, the entire damn city. "Johanna's life is so different from mine. I mean, she's 27. I'm 21. I feel like she's a real adult and I'm a kid in diapers."

Madge rolled her eyes. "The age difference is irrelevant," Madge dismissed. "You're hardly a kid, Katniss. You're the most mature person I've ever known. An old soul." Katniss nudged her friend. "Johanna's life is different, but you knew that. You said you wanted to try things out with her anyway. How did you put it?" Madge tapped her chin in thought. "You told her you 'liked work.'" Katniss had rehashed her night with Johanna - leaving out the details of their tryst in the car - to Madge in an effort to calm herself down after their date. Madge had, of course, profusely encouraged her to pursue the relationship.

"I do, I really like her. I just think that all I am, that's not going to be enough. I've only been here like two days and I've only been comfortable once, when we were in bed." Madge waggled her eyebrows and Katniss couldn't help but flush deep red again. "Not even like that. Last night she was exhausted, so I made dinner and she fell asleep in my arms." Katniss's smile warmed at the memory.

"That's fucking adorable," Madge supplied with a huge grin.

"I know it is," Katniss huffed. "But it was only like that because Johanna was too tired to have her guard up." Katniss chewed on the inside of her cheek, trying to articulate the deep-down seed of insecurity she was harboring. "I feel like maybe, maybe this is all just convenient for Johanna. Having someone at her beck and call, emotionally and physically, that isn't tethered to this world of hers. Like I'm just a piece in her games."

Her blonde friend leaned back in her seat, seemingly contemplating Katniss's words. Something she appreciated about Madge was her keen ability to listen; to know when to interject and when to leave a silence. After a few, long minutes, she piped up. "Perhaps it's not just about convenience," Madge offered slowly. "Maybe you're right, she does want someone who isn't tethered to this world of hers, and can you blame her? Her life is exhausting." Katniss couldn't disagree with that statement. Even just the small crowd of people they encountered today seemed to sap Johanna of her energy, or at least her spirit. "Clearly embroiling her personal and professional lives hasn't worked out well for her so far. She's 27, hot, wealthy, funny, well-bred and well-educated, and one of the most connected and powerful people under 30 on the planet." Katniss raised her eyebrow. "And she's _single_. Almost perpetually so. So unless she's got bodies under her house or she's a furry or something, there's been something wrong with her choice in lovers if she's been picking them from the political world."

Katniss blinked over to her window. She hadn't thought of that. From her extensive googling of Johanna, she had only come up with a handful of possible former paramours. But the evidence surrounding the photos was conjectural. None of the people pictured were proven to be anyone Johanna had dated. It seemed that, because of her sexuality, anyone seen on the arm of Johanna Mason was suspected to be her new love interest. Madge placed her hand on Katniss's thigh. "Look at it this way. Johanna was under no obligation to take you out on that first date, or a second one. Does she seem like the type of person who wastes her time?"

"Not at all," Katniss murmured in a small voice. "I mean I guess it's a little early to be having such a crisis."

Madge pursed her lips. "A little," she goaded with a smirk. "She didn't get to where she is by being an idiot. I don't know Johanna personally, obviously, but what I do know of her, she seems like the type that goes after what she wants. And she's been going after you." The blonde shifted in her seat to turn her full attention to Katniss. "If she is playing you, then I'm completely wrong and she's an idiot. You're a catch, Katniss."

"How much am I paying you to say that?" Katniss inquired with a cheeky grin.

Madge huffed dramatically. "Not _nearly_ enough."

* * *

Choosing to watch Johanna play tennis had been a remarkably good idea. Johanna and her friend were well into their game by the time Madge and Katniss arrived; evidently Johanna's meeting was shortened. In any case, the two younger girls found a spot in the spectator's seats to watch. There weren't many other people there, so Katniss got a nice view of Johanna, sweaty and focused.

"Who's the blonde?" Katniss inquired, nodding toward the other side of the court. She was a rather beautiful blonde with piercing blue eyes, an impressive physique, and a half-shaved head that exposed green vine tattoos that ran down her neck and nestled inside her tank top.

"That's Cressida. She's a producer and writer for the news. Something big... CNN I think, or MSNBC. Something legit," Madge explained. "I didn't know she and Johanna knew each other. Politicians rarely show up anywhere public with media." The blonde looked around and shrugged. "But this is the most exclusive country club in the Capitol, so I'm guessing nobody here will say anything."

Katniss hummed in thought and returned her attention to Johanna. Currently her hair was pulled back, and they battled in what only could be described as mini skirts. Johanna's was black, of course, to contrast Cressida's white get up. Each time either of them lunged for a shot, their skirts ruffled and rose and Katniss's mouth went dry. The gym echoed with their hard grunts of effort and groans of frustration as the lead ricocheted back and forth between them. Watching Johanna was not doing Katniss's libido any favors. Her body was covered in sweat, again, and the grunts she expelled upon serving or returning a volley was coiling something deep inside Katniss's stomach and crawling lower with each passing second.

Mercifully, the game was over after about an hour and a half. Johanna had just eked out a victory over the blonde, much to Cressida's loud annoyance. Johanna looked up to the spectator seats and winked at Katniss before disappearing into the locker room with a still-grumbling Cressida tailing behind. They emerged a short fifteen minutes later, both redressed with makeup reapplied, looking like they hadn't just sweat their asses off for nearly an hour.

The country club was offset from the gym; glass enclosed, and set out over the city of Washington DC. There weren't many people inside, but Madge whispered the names of the politicians she recognized as they were escorted to their table. Madge had more of an eye for these things than Katniss; she was up on current events and could pick a senator from a representative. Aside from being a Political Science major, her father being mayor back home meant Madge was attuned to the political world.

Once they settled into their table and all ordered their lunches, Johanna excused herself to make a phone call. Cressida sat across from the two younger women; her narrowed eyes alight with amusement. "So _you're_ Katniss," Cressida stated, looking at the brunette.

"Yes?"

"I would've thought _you_ were Katniss," she said, nodding toward the blonde.

Madge wrinkled her nose. "Why? I've never even met her."

"You're blonde," Cressida replied simply with a shrug. She took a long sip from a glass of water, placing the glass gently on the white tablecloth. Off both of the girls' surprised looks, Cressida smirked. "You don't know Johanna that well, yet. But Johanna has a weakness for blondes. All of her female lovers have been blonde. There might have been a dubious redhead or two in there," Cressida mused thoughtfully, "but as long as I've known her, and longer, Johanna's always been so tragically attracted to the fairer sex with even fairer hair." She shrugged her shoulders. "No matter. She's never been one to be predictable, that's for sure. The only predictable thing is that they're always gorgeous, which you both are."

Before either Madge or Katniss could come up with a response, Johanna returned to the table, unaware of the tension. "Sorry about that. Now, where were we?" Johanna looked across the table at Madge and gave her a warm smile. "Madge Undersee. I have a question for you."

Unlike Katniss, who on their first date was quite intimidated by Johanna, Madge merely gave her an indifferent shrug. "And I, you. But you can go first."

"How do you know my brainless cousin Finnick?"

"Well that's an easy one," Madge teased. "I have a friend on the swim team who thought I'd be interested in Finnick. He's not really my type, so after he stopped flirting with me, I told him I had a hot friend I could set him up with."

Cressida laughed into her drink. "You didn't know Katniss was fishing in the other lake?"

Katniss's jaw clenched and she felt a soothing hand land on her thigh. She traced its origin to Johanna, whose gaze never left Madge's. Madge shrugged her shoulders again. "I never asked. Not that it matters." Katniss and Madge shared a smile. "It all worked out. She got what she wanted."

"An exponentially better date," Johanna bragged dramatically. "If I do say so myself." Her brown eyes moved over to Katniss. "Back me up here, Everdeen."

"Unforgettable, surely." Katniss nudged Johanna with her shoulder congenially. Johanna's hand on her thigh increased in pressure and the look of affection Johanna gave her was enough to make her stomach flutter.

Madge brushed imaginary dirt from her shoulder and blew on her nails. "Nailed it."

Johanna cocked an eyebrow toward the blonde. "Right, right. You're a matchmaker all right." She rolled her eyes and then settled them on the blonde. "Now you had some questions for me?"

"A ton, actually," Madge answered honestly. "I'm a Political Science major, so meeting you is kind of a dream. I had no idea Finnick Odair was your cousin, or I'd have tried to date him myself if that meant I could meet you."

Katniss saw Johanna's mouth twitch upward in a smirk. "Is that right?"

"Totally." Madge blinked down to her plate embarrassedly. "I'll try not to be too much of a fangirl, I promise."

"I'll try not to be a disappointment," Johanna drawled. The tops of Madge's cheeks flushed and Katniss shrank back into her seat. Johanna's hand on her thigh notwithstanding, she knew she was about to become a piece of furniture to them. Madge could babble about politics for hours, in the same way Katniss could do for history. And presumably Cressida was present to get some insider scoop from Johanna.

Cressida's eyes pinged between Johanna and Madge, and then she settled them on Katniss and her cheek dimpled deeply in a smirk. A weakness for blondes indeed, Katniss thought. It wasn't as if Johanna was flirting with Madge - and Katniss was pretty certain Madge wasn't queer anyway - but they fell into a rather effortless rapport that was lost on Katniss when she talked to Johanna. At least here, in this environment. Their dates were easy - there was no one around to distract Johanna. Here in Johanna's world there were a million things to take her attention away, and Katniss was no match for that.

* * *

After dropping Madge back at her hotel to meet with her father, the SUV took Johanna and Katniss back to Johanna's apartment. It had started snowing again, dropping fat snowflakes in their hair as they bustled in the doorway, shivering. Johanna shucked off her boots and hung up her jacket, rushing over to the fireplace to get the fire going again. "Would you mind getting the fire started in the bedroom?" Johanna asked, peering at Katniss over her shoulder. "I've got to make a quick call but I want the place getting warmer. Looks like we might be in for the night again."

Katniss nodded mutely and padded up the stairs to Johanna's bedroom. It didn't take long to get a fire going - years of hunting made her excellent at making a campfire, and it was even easier with the heat from the downstairs hearth warming the logs - and by the time she had gotten it done and turned around, Johanna was standing in the doorway.

"Thanks." Johanna stepped into the bedroom and crossed over to Katniss, placing her hands on Katniss's hips. "Are you okay? You seemed a little distant at lunch."

"I'm fine," Katniss protested, wiping her face of expression. "I was glad you and Madge hit it off."

"Who?" Johanna blinked a few times and then nodded. "Oh, your friend, right." When Katniss's eyes moved upward to meet Johanna's, she found a trace of guilt in them. "I apologize if my talking to your friend, and Cress, all through lunch was rude of me," Johanna began. Katniss watched Johanna's throat bob in an anxious manner. "But it wasn't because I didn't want to talk to you. Quite the opposite." Katniss raised her eyebrow but said nothing. Johanna sighed impatiently. "The thing is..." Johanna trailed off, scratching the back of her neck. "The thing is, when you're around, I have a hard time concentrating on anything. I saw you at lunch today and you just," Johanna exhaled heavily, "you looked so gorgeous that I was afraid if I didn't give your friend my attention, I never would've been able to get my eyes off of you."

Katniss blinked in surprise. Johanna's eyes dropped to her feet and she gently took the older girl's chin to bring their gazes level. "Really?"

Her hand glided around to cup Johanna's jaw and cheek, her thumb rubbing a small freckle near the dimple by her mouth. Johanna leaned into the touch. "You have no idea, the effect you can have."

Katniss bit her lower lip as a conveyor belt of emotions rolled through her mind. Was this just smooth talk because Johanna picked up on her jealousy? The look in Johanna's eyes appeared earnest, if only because she looked so surprised at her own feelings. The fact that Johanna found her attractive enough that she was a distraction was very appealing. Somehow, Johanna managed to soothe her insecurities with just that one statement. Katniss responded the only way she knew how. She leaned down and seized Johanna's lips in an aggressive, wet kiss.

Johanna's surprised moan empowered Katniss to walk Johanna backward to her bed, shoving the older girl down into the mattress. Her normally dark eyes turned almost pitch black with desire as Katniss straddled her and connected their lips once more, probing Johanna's warm mouth with her tongue. Johanna's hands scaled up her back, beneath her shirt, moving and crossing over her spine and making her muscles twitch. Without pause Johanna lifted Katniss's shirt right off of her, tossing it on the floor next to the bed. She followed suit with her own, and Katniss pressed both her hands against Johanna's shoulders and pinned her to the mattress. Johanna's hips lifted against her, and Katniss smothered Johanna's groan of approval with her mouth.

The dark-eyed beauty gasped as Katniss's lips left a wet trail down her jaw to her neck, nipping at her fluttering pulse. Katniss felt Johanna's hands move from her back to her pelvis, roughly unbuttoning her jeans and letting out an adorable grunt of frustration when she couldn't get them down Katniss's hips.

"Stand up," Johanna ordered, in a tone similar to the one she took with subordinates. Katniss crawled off the bed and stood up, with Johanna following suit. Johanna unzipped Katniss's jeans and then sank down with them as she pulled them toward the floor. Once she hit her knees and Katniss stepped out of the denim, Johanna laced kisses up her inner thighs, sucking on the tender flesh. Her hands massaged Katniss's firm backside, nuzzling her nose into the crotch of her panties. Katniss almost swooned when Johanna placed her tongue flat against her folds, through her underwear, and licked her. Looking down at the sight of Johanna practically worshipping her on her knees; Katniss knew Johanna could feel the surge of arousal that seeped out of her. Under normal circumstances she might be embarrassed, but now she was too aroused to care.

Johanna placed a few gentle kisses on the crease of her thigh. As she rose to her feet again, she nipped and ran her tongue along Katniss's stomach and between her breasts. Once she got to Katniss's neck, the younger girl finally had the presence of mind to unhook Johanna's bra and unzip the back of her skirt, letting it pool around their feet. Johanna replicated the action on Katniss, revealing Katniss's hardened nipples like she was unwrapping a longed for Christmas gift, all open-mouthed and wide-eyed. Katniss's eyes got wide as well, but not because her breasts were bare. Rather, the look in Johanna's eyes was something Katniss had never seen on something other than an animal. It was absolutely predatory.

Johanna's hands came to rest beneath the swell of Katniss's breasts and she leaned forward to nuzzle her face into Katniss's neck. "I still want to devour you," she confessed breathlessly. Her thumb caught the peak of Katniss's nipple and the younger girl groaned.

Katniss pushed the older girl on the bed and nearly leapt on her in desire, capturing Johanna's lips again. Johanna's hands slid up her flanks and into her hair, tangling it wildly as they kissed. "Then do it," Katniss replied ardently, in a voice she didn't even recognize. It was thick with want and desperation. "I - I want you so badly, Johanna."

Before Katniss could count to three she was turned onto her back, her weight shifted so her head lay on Johanna's pillow. The older girl ran a hand up her abdomen and to her breasts, rolling a nipple between her fingers. A bolt shot directly from that contact to her groin, igniting her already feverish desire. Johanna's lips suckled on her pulse before abandoning her neck for points farther south. The sensation of Johanna's mouth enveloping her breasts made Katniss squirm and moan with abandon. "God, Johanna, please."

Johanna paused in her actions, lifting herself up to bring her eyes level to Katniss. "You know what the French call an orgasm?" Katniss shook her head. She didn't even know her own name at this point, never mind some foreign term. " _La petit mort_ ," Johanna answered. "The little death." The older girl leaned down, kissing Katniss languidly and deeply before continuing. "I want you to beg me," Johanna explained, reaching up to caress the side of Katniss's face with the back of her hand. "But not until the pleasure and pain are so intense, you think you're about to die that little death. And when you feel that place," Johanna husked directly into her ear, "if you beg me like you did just now, I will make you come so hard you'll forget who you are."

Katniss growled in arousal and looped her arms over Johanna's shoulders to connect them in another heated embrace. Johanna's thigh nudged itself between Katniss's legs and applied sweet pressure to the area of building, burning desire. It wasn't nearly enough. She wanted the unobstructed feel of Johanna's skin against hers, and to see every inch of Johanna's pale flesh go pink with bodily bliss. Johanna pulled her underwear off of her, dropping it off the side of the bed. She then wiggled out of her own, and placed her body on top of Katniss's. Katniss felt her brain short circuit as Johanna's smooth legs met her own, her wet center just above Katniss's thigh, and her breasts rubbing against Katniss's own; nipples catching in a highly erotic and unexpected sensation.

She wanted to beg again. She desperately wanted Johanna to touch her, but she was enjoying just feeling Johanna's nearness. Johanna tucked Katniss's hair behind her ear and dipped her lips just above Katniss's.

"Spread your legs for me." Katniss's gray eyes nearly popped out of their sockets but she did as she was bid, opening her thighs as much as she could. She felt Johanna settle between them, the crooks of Johanna's elbows pushed against the inside of Katniss's knees. The pressure of Johanna leaning forward to grind against her made her legs stretch even farther apart, a delicious muscle strain spreading to her groin as she rested her heels on Johanna's back. Katniss was confused at their positioning until she felt the slick heat of Johanna's pussy rub directly against her own. The sensation was indescribable. Not to mention the look on Johanna's face, eyes closed and head tilted back and she rocked back and forth against Katniss's sex.

Katniss was glad Johanna knew what she was doing, because every single thrust rubbed her swollen, aching clit and brought her damn near close to that edge Johanna was speaking of. All Katniss could do was lift her hips only a little to match Johanna's movement. Johanna ground against her harder, and just a bit faster, and she felt Johanna's arms that were holding her up begin to tremble with effort. Katniss sensed the cresting of her own orgasm deep within the pit of her stomach. The tingling spread through her body, bidden by Johanna's amazing grunts and whines. The older girl leaned in closer to her, allowing Katniss to more clearly hear her unintelligible whimpers of pleasure.

"Mm, Katniss," Johanna breathed as her little hips thrust faster. Katniss used her hands to thread them in Johanna's hair, pushing the sweat-covers strands out of Johanna's face. "Oh, fuck, _baby_ ," Johanna whimpered, her voice high pitched and more wanton than Katniss had ever heard.

Johanna came violently, jerking against Katniss's sex and letting out a small shout of pleasure. Katniss watched, mesmerized, as Johanna's face - for a blissful moment - was free of any emotion but a post-orgasmic haze. When her eyes opened and cleared, she ducked her face to Katniss's neck to place gentle kisses there. There was no time for Katniss to reciprocate the affection as Johanna crawled backward and settled between Katniss's legs. Johanna used her hands to push Katniss's knees apart, dragging her hands underneath her thighs and her lips trailing to Katniss's center. Her senses exploded as Johanna ran her tongue from the pool of liquid near her entrance right to her clit. Katniss's hips jerked upward and Johanna allowed it, merely rocking with her and keeping her mouth frenziedly working Katniss's sex. There wouldn't be much of this she could take; the earlier thrusting, as well as Johanna calling her 'baby' with such unguarded affection, she had nearly come already.

"Oh my god, Johanna, please," Katniss begged. Katniss looked down to see Johanna slowing her pace, her black eyes meeting Katniss's, eyebrow raised in question. Katniss nodded. She was sure she was at the point Johanna described; pure and unadulterated desperation. "Please, Johanna. Please, I need it - I need -"

Johanna placed her lips around Katniss's swollen nub and sucked, just the tip of her tongue rolling a small circle around it. The feeling pushed Katniss over into a sprawling, almost painfully pleasurable climax. Johanna mentioned on their first date how much she enjoyed the touching of hands, how the smallest touch could set off fireworks. Katniss felt like she could see the whole spectrum of color behind her eyes as she came. The world ceased to spin and Katniss's brain went wonderfully, if a little frighteningly, blank. Johanna opened her mouth wider to move her tongue up and down, curling and flexing the muscle within Katniss's warm pussy. Johanna was right. For a few dizzying moments she had no idea who she was, or where she was. It was the most intense pleasure she had ever felt and it must have short-circuited her brain, like having a near death experience. A little death indeed.

Her breathing didn't seem to get any quieter, and she realized it was because Johanna had started plunging one finger slowly and gently in and out of her sex. Once her brain caught up, her walls contracted against the finger anxiously and Johanna looked up from staring at her actions to scrutinize Katniss's face. It was only one finger, Katniss knew that, but she hadn't...

She didn't want to reveal to Johanna that she hadn't ever had sex before. Their age gap and lifestyles aside, this should be the one place their differences shouldn't matter. She had gotten pretty far with Gale when they dated, but he hadn't ever penetrated her. Katniss had never wanted anyone enough to allow them near her this way.

Johanna was watching her closely as Katniss's mouth opened and closed a few times mutely. She lifted up her body and captured her lips, still sliding one finger in and out of Katniss's tightness. The kiss was not the same as before; this time Johanna was slow and deferential.

Her mouth moved to Katniss's ear and she kissed it a few times. "Am I hurting you?" Katniss's hips rose to meet Johanna's finger and she felt the girl smirk against her ear. "Okay then. Just relax." Katniss shot Johanna a droll glare and the older girl smiled. "Concentrate on my lips. Okay? Focus there." Johanna pulled out and circled Katniss's clit with her forefinger and middle finger. Her lips took Katniss's own, her tongue tracing Katniss's lower lip and gliding into her mouth. Katniss did as Johanna told her and concentrated on the feeling of Johanna's tongue inside her mouth. Her one hand tangled in Johanna's unruly black hair, the other gripped her bicep tightly to finally feel Johanna's body under exertion. It was incredible to feel the flexing of Johanna's muscles beneath her fingers, knowing those muscles were being used for her pleasure.

Another orgasm churned inside her, her breath starting to come in quick gasps. It felt different than before. Katniss looked down to see Johanna's finger sliding in and out of her, her thumb rubbing her clit. Her middle finger crooked upward and the feeling of Johanna against what she assumed must be her g-spot a few times made Katniss completely unravel, her hips bouncing off the bed and pushing down to force Johanna to go just a little deeper as her orgasm began to wane.

Johanna nearly collapsed on top of her, panting against her as all four of her fingers gingerly caressed Katniss's sex. She propped herself up on her free elbow, keeping her other hand busy. Katniss was positive she wouldn't be able to come again, even though Johanna's continued movements seemed to be indicating otherwise.

"Am I the first person to do that to you?" Johanna asked in a deep rasp. "To be inside you?"

"Yes," Katniss revealed, blushing and blinking away from Johanna's penetrative gaze. When she looked back over to Johanna, the brown of her eyes was nearly none existent she was so dilated with arousal.

"Did you like it?" she inquired, raising her eyebrow.

"Yes."

Johanna grinned. "Do you want me to do it again?" Katniss could barely function since Johanna's hand was still massaging her most intimate area, but she managed to nod. Johanna lips spread even wider and the same predatory look from before crossed her face. "Good. Because I want to fuck you," Johanna drawled, causing the bud of arousal in Katniss's stomach to blossom. "So hard and so well you won't be able to walk without thinking of how good I feel inside you." Her eyebrow cocked. "But I want you to beg for it."

Katniss raised her eyebrow. That was the game Johanna wanted to play? That was the sort of game in which Katniss wouldn't mind being a piece. She took Johanna's hand and forced it lower, pushing Johanna's middle finger inside her once more. She winced in a mixture of pain and arousal and opened her eyes to stare down Johanna. "Deal."

* * *

Katniss gripped Johanna's hair tightly in her hand, her hips rising off the bed a few inches, only to have Johanna push them back down. Her orgasm had ebbed, but Johanna was not letting up with her tongue inside her. She wanted to ask Johanna to stop, but her mouth couldn't form any words. And truthfully, she didn't want her to stop. The slow glide of Johanna's hot tongue against her overworked sex sent thrills in the bottom of her stomach. It was a feeling she wanted to repeat for as long as humanly possible.

Johanna's tongue curled inside her, then drew lines back up to her clit and fluttered over the swollen nub. Katniss gasped and wrenched Johanna's hair in her hands, biting her lower lip to suppress any louder groans. She didn't know why; her sounds seemed to spur Johanna on. Johanna didn't seem to need any help in that respect, anyway. Her own groans were loud against Katniss's sex.

"Fuck," Johanna swore, pulling back from Katniss's dripping wet center to wipe her mouth with the back of her hand and suck in some much needed oxygen. She pulled in a deep breath, peering up Katniss's sweat-covered torso to her eyes. "I'm going to grow fucking gills so I never have to stop licking your pussy."

Katniss felt her cheeks grow even warmer at Johanna's crude admission and she let out a self-conscious laugh. "Johanna," she admonished. "That would be impressive." She tugged on her bottom lip and watched as Johanna's eyes drank in the view of her exposed pussy, then looked back up at her.

Johanna cocked an eyebrow at her from between her legs. "Is that the only thing that's impressive?" Her tongue swabbed along her lower lip as she carefully watched Katniss's face.

Katniss crooked her finger and Johanna hoisted herself up on her hands and knees, crawling over her body. The younger girl took Johanna's head between her hands and brought her down for a deep, slow kiss. It had taken a kiss or two, but she began to truly enjoy the taste of herself and Johanna on their tongues. She slid her hands around the back of Johanna's neck and pulled their bodies flush. "Are you fishing for compliments?"

"I am not fishing," Johanna gaped. "I earned those compliments." The petulant pout she gave Katniss made the brunette smile warmly and tug her closer.

"You're incredible," Katniss murmured, kissing the crown of Johanna's head. "But you already knew that." Johanna stuck her tongue out at her. "I'm exhausted, and starving, and sore," Katniss rattled off, counting on her fingers. "And I definitely need a shower."

Johanna grinned wickedly. "Well, I will order us Chinese from this great place a few blocks over, bring down my grandmama's blanket, start a movie, and we can eat ourselves sick and rest our muscles."

"You sure?" Katniss queried, picking at invisible threads on the blanket. She had lost track of time after getting back from lunch, but it was well beyond 7pm and Johanna's phone hadn't rung once since getting home. Katniss slid out from beneath the blankets, snatching the shirt she'd worn to bed the night before and pulling it over her head. She grabbed a pair of shorts and pulled them over her hips, much to the dramatic dismay of Johanna. "I'm going to shower. You're not going to need to dash off for some late night meeting or something?"

Johanna snorted and tossed off her blankets, unabashedly displaying her nakedness and looping her arms over Katniss's shoulders. She placed a kiss on Katniss's neck. "Hop in that shower and I will join you once I put in our order okay?" She playfully swatted Katniss on her ass. "I'm not going anywhere, scout's honor." Katniss kissed her chastely before snagging her towel from Johanna's door and padding toward the bathroom. She heard Johanna sigh and the squeak of the mattress as she sat down. Katniss paused in her step and heard Johanna grumble, "I don't think I could leave you if I tried, Katniss Everdeen."

* * *

Author's Note: Been a while since I updated this piece, but I hope this satiates the need. I'm really glad y'all are enjoying this story, because it is pretty fun to write.

Thanks to Johannas-Motivational-Insults for her beta reading. She's a slavedriver. :P


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